Persona 5: Lovesick DLC
by The Kingdom of Ruby Luxuria
Summary: (Post-P5) Akira Kurusu is now back to where his previous school is; Akademi High. Not even a full week, somebody already died and the Metaverse App appears back into his phone. On top of that, a strange female student appears to be sneaking around him, specifically him, but why? (Akira/Makoto/Possibly Ayano)
1. Transfer Student

Transfer Student

A/N: Bad writing ahead. Do not read with high expectation.

A/N/2: Considering there is barely a complete lore within the Yandere Simulator universe, I had to make up my own, so don't go full Midori on me. Also, no Taro Yamada here. Akira will be replacing him. There should never be two chick magnets in the same school.

"Senpai…"

Akira Kurusu is on the way toward his school, the Akademi High when somehow, out of nowhere, a voice is heard from his side.

He quickly turns his head around, toward where the voice could have come from. Unfortunately he did not see the owner of the voice, nor did he see anything that could have make such noise.

"What is it, Akira?"

Ah, he knows _that_ voice. That's just his talking cat.

Yeah, a talking cat. One word and people would have assumed you are a nutjob.

Though, a talking cat is nothing if you've ventured into a different world based around cognition, fighting beings called Shadows with a personality taking in a form called Persona, even beating a giant drinking cup that turned out to be a god that is now defeated by a Satan after both of them having somewhat a role reversal.

No, that's not sarcasm. That's literally what happened in the life of Akira Kurusu last year.

Who would've thought that a simple student like him would end up founding a famed group of thieves against a corrupt politician?

Definitely not him.

"Nothing," he mutters as he keeps on moving forward, signaling the cat inside his bag right now to not being worried as he goes on into his long abandoned class.

Of course, not knowing that a girl in similar uniform like the other girls around her with black hair tied up in a long ponytail just stares at him, mumbling, "Senpai… you're finally home…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, did you hear that Akira-senpai has finally returned?"

"For real!? He's finally here?"

"I heard he got transferred to a different school because he assaulted a man before."

"No way! There's no way he would do that! He's such a nice guy!"

Akira simply ignores the words around him, as he keeps on moving forward toward where the teacher's room is.

"Ah~, so you must be the transfer student people keep talking about."

Hmm? He has never seen this female in this room before. Is she a new teacher here?

There is no way he wouldn't recognize this voluptuous educator, not in this school with very little numbers of people in it.

"I am Mida Rana. I'll be your substitute homeroom teacher for this year."

Owh, a substitute teacher. That makes sense now.

The teacher seems to be grinning at him for some odd reason, "I've heard that you used to be a student of Akademi High, is that right?"

Akira slowly nods.

"But you were transferred out for assaulting a man."

Again, he didn't do that. The judge just decided that he did. It has been resolved, though.

"You might feel uncomfortable, what with people around here constantly talking about you and the teachers might show a slight discrimination on yourself."

Not like that's the first time he got that treatment. He's going to be fine, that's for sure.

"But I'll assure you, I won't give you the same treatment like they give you."

Oh? That's the first time. Is this teacher the type that gives equal treatment to all of her students?

"After all, I like bad boys…"

…

Not sure he likes where this is going…

"Especially the cute one…"

DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

Goho-M! Goho-M!

Mida chuckles as she now mutters, "We should be going to your class. I'm sure your friends are dying to see you."

Crisis averted… for now…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Class, you have a transfer student joining you starting today," Mida mentions before the whole class of 3-2.

With that short announcement, mouths quickly speaking up before her with words flying all over the place.

"Wait, could it be _that_ transfer student?"

"Why here of all places?"

"Could it be because of how Kurusu-san used to be one of us?"

"I'm scared! I'm gonna report this to my dad! He's the board of director. He knows what to do!"

Wow, first day of his return to this school and one of them already plotted his expulsion. They are even more savage than Shujin.

Though, it is understandable that these kids have no choice but to go here after all. If they could, they could have just asked for transfers from here, but this is a private school.

A private school that their parents paid way too much just to get them to enroll. Some of them here are from wealthy families who only care about exam results and nothing else. Some wealthy students are here just for show. Some aren't even that wealthy, joining the school thanks to welfare just for the sake of being part of the 1% group.

As such, even if a murder may take place, the parents are most likely to ignore this and just ask for the police to do their job.

It is said that the school isn't even care about the students' safety, instead focusing solely on taking care of its good name.

This is pretty much why Akira Kurusu got thrown off from the school directly after being convicted of a crime. They just wouldn't accept juveniles.

Now that his crime has been cleared thanks to the events with the Phantom Thieves, this place, possibly fear of more scandal issues, quickly pull him in back to this school; not even asking whether or not he wanted to be here.

Personally, he would love to just stay in Shujin. There, his reputation as a criminal has already been swallowed by his achievement in education. He is the teachers' pet and he has friends back in Tokyo; ranging from his schoolmates to a politician working in Diet as of now.

A life truly for the holder of the World Arcana.

And now he feels like he is back as a Fool Arcana, with no friends around this now-estranged school of his.

His inner monologue, which somehow able to run for minutes in a short period of seconds, is finally halted by the teacher's sultry voice, "Please come in and introduce yourself."

Moving into the class, he bows toward all fourteen students before him as he speaks to all of them, "Good morning, everyone. I am Akira Kurusu. I am pleased to meet all of you."

"Why are you so formal with us?" a black-haired boy with a bandanna sitting in one place calls him out, "We were classmates before, right? Loosen up!"

"Budo-kun, I don't think…"

"He's already been proven innocent before right? What else do you want from him?"

"But… he is a deli-"

"He is not one! I know Kurusu-kun and I know for a fact that he would never hurt anybody for no reason."

A purple drill haired girl among them suddenly speaks up to him, "Then, Kurusu-kun, why don't you tell us what happened before? Maybe that will help stop the rumor?"

Good idea. If those who have their hearts changed can be truthful to others, why can't the victims?

Sighing slowly, Akira opens up his mouth, "I saved a woman from being molested, but that man threatened her to tell the police that I am the one who assaulted him for no reason."

Of course, he omitted the part where the man is the recently elected-then-stepped down president of Japan, Masayoshi Shidou, but nobody here needs to know the full detail. There's already more attention on him as it is.

"That's coward!" the student with the bandanna screams out in anger, "That man should never be allowed to roam free!"

"It is fine," Akira mutters, "The Phantom Thieves already made him have a change of heart."

"Phantom Thieves?" the drill-haired girl looks surprised, "They helped you out, Kurusu-kun?"

"It's more like; they helped me along with others."

Now the class starts chatter about how the Phantom Thieves involved with one of their classmates (yes, somehow even they had the change of hearts on how they view Akira) that the teacher had to speak out loud.

"Now, now, kids, I should be getting your attendance before your first class begins."

She then turns toward Akira, motioning toward a desk beside the drill-haired girl, "That seems to be the only empty spot. How about you seat there?"

With a nod, he obeys her, moving close toward the desk and slowly putting his bag into the desk.

Morgana quickly slid out of the bag, shaking his head as he purrs slowly, "Wow, the rumors of the Phantom Thieves even arrived here? That's impressive!"

Apparently, he is sitting beside the drill-haired girl as she tries to open up a conversation with him, "Hey, did you remember me? We sat side by side last year before you moved."

"Kokona Haruna, right? You are in the same class with me even in the first year."

The girl seems happy, "That's great! You should know that I am the Class Rep here, so if you need anything, feel free to ask for my help."

"Will do," he smiles at her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

?1: You're right! Senpai is here!

?2: Am I? You shouldn't underestimate my information searching ability after all.

?1: Really? Then explain why aren't you able to find out where Senpai lives when he transferred before.

?2: That… I do not know why. I am so sure that I've hacked his phone before. But something seems to be interrupting me when I tried to hack his phone again after he's moved. Probably because he is too far away from us.

?1: If only I know where is his new school was… I get to be with my Senpai without anybody on our way.

?2: You have a chance now. Still, you need to hurry up. Since Senpai is here, that girl will probably not gonna waste her time as well.

?1: Ah… that bitch… it will be years too early if she think she can be with Senpai.

?2: Then, is it a deal?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's lunch time.

Morgana is up to his normal antic of going out and checking out the building from top to bottom, so he is not with him at this time.

At this time, he would have go to the cafeteria and buy something to eat, if not for the number of students hoarding toward him asking for so many questions, a.k.a. the treatments for all transfer students in their first day.

"Have you met the Phantom Thieves?"

"How are they like?"

"Is the school the Phantom Thieves first appeared in is your school?"

"Do you know any of them?"

Okay, those are definitely not the questions asked toward the transfer students.

Maybe he should have just kept silent about the Phantom Thieves. That topic, after all, is still fresh on everyone's mind.

Kokona quickly speaks out loud toward them all, "Everyone, I don't think Kurusu-kun can answer any of those questions. Maybe you should be asking about something else."

She then turns toward him, "How is life in Tokyo?"

"It's nice," Akira replies to her question, "I was forced to stay with a volunteer as part of the juvenile, and that volunteer happens to be a coffee shop owner. He let me stay at the coffee shop's attic and even give me the key if I were to go out at night."

"You must have a lot of friends there, right?"

He nods, "I do. We hang out at the attic and sometime we even used the shop to study together whenever the owner is on vacation."

"That sounds like fun!"

But then a male student springs a question, "Hey, Kurusu. Are you dating someone right now?"

And now all eyes are staring straight toward him.

"I-"

"It's true! You ARE here!"

Turning around, he sees a female student with a really long orange twin tails staring straight at him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Y-you idiot!"

Osana Najimi.

As the name (unbelievably) suggests, she is his childhood friend ever since he was a child.

Also a tsundere, if anyone can't tell from the get-go.

Right now, she has pulled him straight to the rooftop, screaming at him with full force.

"Why didn't you called me before!?"

Akira just stares at how she seems really pissed off, as he now wonders something, "Why didn't YOU called me before?"

And now she seems shocked, "I-I was expecting you call, idiot!"

"Are you… perhaps… worried about me?"

"N-no! No way I am worrying about your sorry ass! You always put yourself into trouble like this! God, you are so nosy! Look at what happened to you!"

She sighs as she quickly shoves a box toward him, "H-here!"

"A bento? For me?"

"Just take it already! It's not like I'm doing this for you or anything, idiot!"

She must have heard of the news of him returning, and decided to make a lunch for him.

She is someone who is very easy to tell.

"Thank you," Akira takes it from her regardless.

He then goes to sit on the bench nearby, slowly munching off the food.

Osana now pulls out her own box (not surprisingly) and now having a meal beside him.

After some more bites, she opens up her mouth, "Seriously, why were you arrested before? I fail to see how someone like you ended up getting captured by the police."

Akira repeats the story toward her.

She snickers as soon as he finishes with his words, "You are so predictable, Akira-senpai. I knew you are getting yourself in trouble for helping someone. Why can't you just stay away like other people did?"

"And let her possibly getting raped by that man?"

Osana chokes on his word as he keeps on continue, "Would you do the same if the same thing happened to your friend?"

"Well…"

Akira keeps on muttering, "Then, you are no different than those students at Shujin, my previous school."

"Your school?"

"One of the teachers in that school abused his power as one and constantly pushing his volleyball team, even to the point of hurting them unnecessarily. On top of that, he views the female students as nothing but objects for him to enjoy, even resorting to sexual assault on one of them just to get into the pants of another."

His friend is now being silenced by his words.

Akira stares at him, "Do you want to know what's worse? Some people know about it. Even the principal knows about it. But did they ever do anything to stop it? No, they just walk away and ignore them."

Osana tries to speak up, "S-still… there's no need to be like those Phantom Thieves…"

"Maybe if people actually do something about their problems rather than ignore them that the Phantom Thieves won't be needed in the first place."

Osana is in total shock, "Are you…"

Owh… did she figure him out?

"Are you… a fan of the Phantom Thieves?"

…

Probably should have seen that one coming.

Akira sighs, "No, but I would like to thank them for clearing my name in the first place. That man is now in jail and that woman is no longer scared of him."

The twin tail girl now looks downward toward her box, mumbling, "Idiot…"

"Hmm?"

"You are an idiot! It's fine if you want to be a hero or anything, but did you have to endanger yourself like that!?" she screams out to him, "What if that man just straight up murder you, instead of going through the trouble of blackmailing that woman you saved?"

"That would be real bad, I guess…"

The orange-haired student now sits on that place, pouting, "Mou… you are always so reckless yet so kind… This is why I like you…"

"What was that?"

"N-nothing, you idiot! Just finish off your bento or I won't make one for you again!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morgana find this place amazing.

Unlike Shujin, which seems to be overrun by students, this place has less students, and that gives him the ability to sneak in without getting caught by some eyes.

Not to mention, this place is quite big on itself. Then again, Shujin is also big for a building and he couldn't just compare the two.

Still, the fact that Akademi High has lesser students makes it looks like the place is spacious compare to the school in Tokyo.

Currently, Morgana is looking through what he could have sworn as an office; presumably the office of the headmaster.

Unless he is hallucinating, he is pretty sure that he hears a voice coming out of the place.

"Y-yes… Please don't do that… This is a school, not a- I see… I'm sorry then…"

The man is seemingly putting the phone back to its place. He rubs his head, fixing his eyes with a loud grunting noises coming out of his oral, "She is getting more and more ridiculous…"

Owh? Sounds like a blackmail.

He knows that the Metaverse is no longer around anymore, but there is no way he could just stay silent after hearing this.

This is what he decided to do to become a human, after all. He needs to stay on course or else he won't have a chance to be one.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The bell signifies the end of the school.

Akira now ready to pull his bag up to his shoulder before stopping.

He notices how his bag has put some weight.

"Hey, Akira, I have something to tell yo-"

Before his cat could even finish off his sentence, somebody else decide to interrupt him.

Osana appears behind him, calling out to him, "S-Senpai… would you like to… join me for a walk back home?"

Walking back home together? It has been forever since he last did that with her. She always just come in and asked for him to walk with her, or wait for him at the gate.

In Tokyo, since his friends goes to different areas after school, he simply walked home alone. The one that actually stays close to him is Futaba, but she isn't even going to any school back then.

His head slowly turning to his bag, making it look like he is thinking, but is actually waiting for a response from Morgana.

The cat slowly mumbling, "I'll talk to you back home. Just go with her for now."

Sure, why not? Nothing could go wrong, right?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

With that, the two actually walk together toward their home.

Osana seems to be trying to strike a conversation, "S-Senpai?"

"Yes?"

"H-how's… your parents?"

The spectacled student stares at her, "Still working."

"They didn't say anything about your… crime being proven false?"

He shakes his head, "They are as cool as ever. They might have felt guilty for not defending me before, but who knows. We barely speak to each other after all."

"I- I see… that's… that's pretty much them, huh?"

…

She asks him again, "Are… are you fine here? Did anybody bother you here?"

"They do ask too many questions about Phantom Thieves. I think I should have kept silent about that…"

"I see… that bad, huh…"

Why is she looking so nervous?

"Um… senpai… do you… do you know about that cherry blossom tree at our school?"

He nods, "It's a tree that supposedly makes two lovers have an eternal love."

"Do you… believe in that kind of stuff?"

Believe is a strong word. But the context of "the gentleman thief in the book is my mask" is a lot stronger than that.

"Sure. It could be true. Why?"

She suddenly steps forward rapidly before him, now turning toward him, "S-senpai… will you… will you meet me at the tree… tomorrow?"

Ah… so this is where this scenario is going…

"Huff…"

Slowly, the black-haired student pulls off his glasses.

His head moves up, looking straight toward her, "I'm sorry, but I have to decline that."

Osana seems shocked by his words, "I… I see… You must be busy then. Of course you are. You are still new here after a year in Tokyo. There is no way you have everything prepped out. You must have some stuff needed to arrange… Would you… when will you be free then? We can meet there some other day if you want to…"

"Sorry," Akira mutters, "But I am already in a relationship."

"Wha-"

This shocks her even more.

"Wh-when did you…"

"I met a girl in Tokyo. She's a lovely person."

"O-of course! It's Tokyo, after all… There is no way you won't find somebody attractive in Tokyo…"

Osana quickly turns around, head close to her body, "F-f-f-forget what I just said! I- I am way too busy with… with everything!"

"Baka…"

Kurusu swears that he heard her saying something, but he may have no idea what she said as she just run off away from him in a hurry.

Morgana's voice is quickly heard, "Are you sure about this?"

He simply nods, looking at her slowly disappearing from his sight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Osana keeps on running and running before she finally stops.

She found herself running back to the school. More specifically, she is now standing before a tree with pink flowers in the middle of the field.

Her eyes start to be filled with tears as she keeps on staring at the flowers.

Unknown to her, a girl with a ponytail hair is slowly moving close to her, sneaking with a knife inside her hand.

The orange-haired girl speaks out loud, "I am so stupid. Of course she is going to find someone else first! I am so slow!"

The ponytail girl seems to have her movement stunted, stopping on her track.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Blackmail?"

Kurusu mutters in question, wondering as he reaches a house, presumably his own as he is ready to unlock the door, "Are you saying the principal has been blackmailed?"

"Yeah! It seems a woman of some kind is using the school for something, and the principal does not like even one bit of it."

"Maybe it's just an order from the higher up? He could have received ridiculous words from one of the board of directors intending to use the school for something for their own. It happened before when I was still here."

"Really? What happened?"

"Our exam is close by, but the last president of the student council wanted to make the previously cancelled school festival before she and everyone else could graduate. Needless to say, she pulled a string and her overly rich dad, who is also the leader of the board of director that time, told the principal to let her do as she pleases. I heard he is really mad about that."

"I see…"

The cat seems saddened about this, "It must have been an imagination of mine that it's a blackmail. Sometimes I wish our work as Phantom Thieves still not over yet."

"I know. I feel the same too. I just want everybody to be together like always. Honestly, it's quite fun to summon creatures from myth and shoot fireballs at monsters. It's like a video game."

The cat purred, signaling his agreement on that statement.

Akira continues, "Don't worry. If there is still a problem related to the Metaverse pops up again, I'm sure Igor and Lavenza will let us know."

He enters his home with his cat, not knowing that a female is staring at him, before quickly moving away from there.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

?1: So, have you learned anything about senpai?

?2: I can't. It looks his phone has a really strong firewall that someone with my level couldn't bypass. He must have gotten that from an expert hacker.

?1: So you couldn't find anything?

?2: Give me time. I'm sure I can hack his phone eventually. I only need to know what kind of protection he is dealing with.

?1: I do know few things…

?2: Owh? Care to share with me?

?1: Najimi said he already have someone else. She was crying at the tree earlier.

?2: Are you sure he is? Sounds like he's just rejecting her politely. He's probably just doesn't want to hurt her feeling too much.

?1: Really? That's great then!

?2: Don't let your guard down. You know you are not the only girl in Akademi.

?1: I know… I will never let anybody getting close to senpai. He is mine and mine alone.

"Owh, and he likes kitty too. He really likes kitty so much he brings him to the class and speaks to him passionately. Senpai is so dreamy~…"

"Meow?"

"Don't worry… you are safe… for now… Don't want senpai to see me as a cat-hater now, aren't we?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Err…

Why is there a police car entering the school?

Akira quickly runs into the school, running as fast as he could as he soon joins the student and witnessing what everybody sees at the cherry blossom tree at the back of the school.

Osana, hanged at a branch of the tree.

Wha- did she… commit suicide? Is it his fault?

He suddenly feels his phone shaken, as if someone is calling for him.

Akira quickly pulls out his phone, startling in shock.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Phantom Thieves Chat Group]

Joker: Guys, we have a problem. Someone died in my school and Metaverse Navigation App just popped up on my phone's screen.

 **Chapter end.**

 **Why on earth did nobody ever think of this before? Persona and Yandere Simulator X-Over. It's perfect! Both are in schools. Both main male characters are "Insert Name Here" type of characters. One is a supernatural-filled story and one can have a supernatural involve. It's already a match!**

 **In truth, this fic came thanks to YandereDev made a video about Persona 5 and compare it to Yandere Sim before and I was like, "Why can't we just combine both?"**

 **Though, don't expect too much from me. My writing is as superior as an ant giving The Rock a German Suplex. Non-weird-metaphorically speaking, it's bad. Not the best for most readers here.**

 **How this story is going to work? Ayano Aishi, our resident Yandere-chan will be given an arcana and a Persona. Is she going to be an ally, not sure yet…**

 **Pairing? Not sure yet, but I am leaning toward Akira/Makoto at this point, not just because she is my waifu, but also for convenient sake. At this point, she should have already graduated from high school, so she has time for her "study" partner. Not to mention she's super smart and if she's around, Ayano can go yandere without having to go all the way to Tokyo to track her down.**

 **But what about other waifu? Tell me if you want others to join in as well. Not full harem though. There is no way it would make sense if he ever have full harem and yet not adding Osana into the group.**

 **Also, tell me if you want Akira/Ayano as well. We can have at least threesome if you want to. I don't mind.**

 **About Ayano's Persona? I give you a hint. The demons.**

 **Thank you for reading. Now, let's wait till a better version of this story by someone better pops up in the site.**

 **Next: One of Akira's friend, Makoto, now pops up in Akademi, wanting to help Akira in the investigation of Osana. But where to start first? Maybe a trip to Memento could help out a bit?**


	2. Reunion

Reunion

P/S: Again, sorry for the story being AU.

Blue… ceiling? His room ceiling isn't blue…

Akira quickly pulls himself up. His head moves wildly as he now tries to figure out his current whereabouts.

This room is all blue, but at least there are shades of blues that he can quickly distinguish where he is right now.

His head turns to his back and sees a huge mirror located before him.

Isn't that a one-way mirror used by the police?

Wait, is this an interrogation room?

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

A soft spoken, familiar voice is quickly pulling his attention toward his front. The owner of the voice and himself is currently being separated between a huge table.

There sat a man with an unusually spiky nose. He knows that man.

He may have not known that man very well, but he knows exactly who that man is.

It's the prison warden, Igor.

Beside him is a female in blue, with her white hair flowing at her back. She holds a book in her hand.

She is Igor's assistant, Lavenza.

Those two have been helping him with any Persona-related action throughout his journey as a thief. To be more specifically, a fake Igor and his assistants, Justine and Caroline, created from the split of Lavenza's self are the one that helped him.

Still, these two are their allies in the fight against that godly deity. Their existence is much appreciated by him.

Still…

"Why the Velvet Room looks different right now?" he questions the two, "Isn't it supposed to be a prison?"

Lavenza quickly responds to him, "Velvet Room is a place made for our guests. The shapes, sizes and appearances of the Velvet Room differ for different guests. It can be an inside of a limousine, an elevator, or even a dance stage; all depends to the guests themselves. Although, for the room to change its appearance for the same guest is a rare occurrence."

"Indeed it is," Igor responds to her, "But perhaps the prison is partly due to the imposter himself. He may have made the room to appear as a prison for his own sake, with various executions for different actions on the Personas. After all, fusing and strengthening Personas are supposed to be my duty for the guest."

"Then, why am I here again? Didn't I already receive the World Arcana?"

The silver-haired girl replies, "The World Arcana signifies the completion; something may have given you the sense of accomplishment for you to deserve such Arcana. It is the end of your contract. But, it is also possible that a new contract appear for you at times."

"You mean… a new case? Is something happen? Did the Yaldabaoth appear once more?"

Igor speaks up, "Nothing of sort. Yaldabaoth has returned back to its previous form, and is no longer a treasure that affecting humans as a whole. No, this new contract of yours concerns of others."

"Concerning what?"

Lavenza mutters, "While you may have felt accomplished, others around you may have not feeling the same. For this particular contract, someone is in need of you to guide them to a right path."

"A right path?"

"As we speak right now, a new Palace has already been formed and one of the denizens of the Palace is suffering horribly from the influence of this Palace," Igor continues her words, "I would like to ask for you to help that person and solve this new Palace."

"I see… a new Palace…"

"Also, I would like to remind you that due to this unforeseen event of a new Palace, the Metaverse will still trying to adjust to your powers that you have achieved beforehand. As such, you may be feeling a bit weaker as of now."

Wait, what?

"Then, a contract has been formed. We shall meet again."

Xxxxxxx

Akira pulls himself up from his bed. He is in shock from what could have been his dream.

His eyes move to see Morgana remain sleeping near him.

Was that just a dream? Did he really wish to be a Phantom Thief again that his mind is playing trick on him?

Akira grabs his phone and quickly browses through the apps on the screen.

The Metaverse Navigation App is not among them.

Then it is a dream.

It is better for it to be a dream. A new Palace means others are hurt by its ruler.

Besides, going back to the square one? He would prefer to have a bunch of creatures flying out of his mask than just one. No offense Arsene. You look cool, but others deserve some love too.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

He's wrong…

He can see it from the window beside his seat.

Cops are surrounding the tree at the back of the school.

The noose is still there as part of the evidence.

Is Osana really killed herself? He finds that hard to believe.

But, a part of him says that it is a possibility. They have been friends for so long… rather, she has been putting herself close to him for so long. She lets her emotion shows that it is impossible not to notice it.

She has been a very brash young lady, always screaming out at him whenever a female classmate of him speaks to him. 'Idiot' is pretty much her catchphrase with an occasional 'baka' along the way.

Yesterday seems to be different though. She mellows down her temper a bit that it almost feels like she is having a change of heart.

Is it because of what they discussed about him helping that woman that leads to him being arrested? Or is it because of the confession.

Akira was pretty sure a rejection won't hurt her. She is not the type that breaks after a simple rejection that suicide is an option for her. Is it?

A year could change people. That's what happened to what he called his friends as Confidants. In just a span of a year, all of them turned from feeling inadequate to feeling accomplished.

It could happen to others too. Who knows, maybe Osana suffers some sort of life-changing enlightenment that she did what she did.

But in all honesty, he does not want to believe that a suicide is the reason for the loss of life here. Not with him visiting the Velvet Room last night.

There is no way it is a mere coincidental.

Akira now turns toward the front, noticing his teacher to appear before the students.

Mida speaks up toward all of them, "Class, as what you've seen today, the teachers will be very busy for now. You won't be having class until after recess. Now, let us start the homeroom."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Skull: For real? The Metaverse Nav reappeared?

Panther: But that thing didn't appear on my phone.

Queen: Me neither. It seems none of us do have Metaverse Nav on our phone. Could it have anything to do with the death of one of the student at your old school?

Joker: It's a possibility.

Oracle: But we can't do anything right now! We still have to go to school for now L

Fox: Correct, and Futaba has been really looking forward to be in the school once more.

Oracle: Shut up, Inari…

Noir: I can't help you either. I am still busy with Big Bang Burger…

Skull: Screw school! Let's just go there and help our leader out!

Queen: You know I can't let you do that. This year should be your last year. You don't want to have a bad record for yourself, right?

Panther: Then… how are we going to help him?

Queen: I'll be going there.

Noir: Mako-chan, what about college?

Queen: My term won't start in a month. A month should be enough to help out.

Joker: Then, I'll be waiting.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Your friend?"

Akira is quickly being pulled away from his phone to his side.

The one that snapped him from the chat group is none other than Kokona, who is currently smiling at him.

"Haruna-san?" he wonders why is she appear to be smiling at him like that, as if there is a meaning behind it. Ah, could it be…

"About Najimi-san… She's your friend, right? I can't help it but thinking that she is quite close to you."

He quickly shakes his head, "Not really. She's just pushing herself into any conversation I have just like that. To be honest, her catchphrase is so annoying, it's a bother to think that someone even taking a liking to her."

He suddenly sighs, "Still, I can consider her a friend to me. Maybe not that close, but a friend is still a friend."

Kokona chuckles, "Is it? With how you treat her, she must have seen you as an important person. Right after you've gone, she looks so lonely I had to pull her into our group."

"The Social Butterflies, right?"

"Don't call us that! You make us look like we are a club of our own! I joined a different club, you know?"

"What could that be?"

"It's the Cooking Club."

"Cooking, huh?" Akira somehow piques an interest, "The owner of the café where I lived before taught me how to make a coffee and a curry."

"Really?" Kokona seems interested by this, "Then, how about you join our club? I really want to try that curry of yours?"

"I'll see about that."

With that sentence, he suddenly feels something inside of him; something familiar…

 _I am thou, thou art I._

A Confidant? Here?

 _Thou hast acquired a new vow._

 _It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the-_

As Akira manages to listen to the rest of the words, the door of the class swiftly opens up, with a female of light grey hair enters the class.

With that, his attention breaks away from the message.

The female turns to her side, moving toward him as she speaks up, "Akira Kurusu-senpai?"

"Em…"

"Pardon for my intrusion. I am the School Council's president, Megami Saikou. I am here to inform you that you have been summoned to the Student Council's office."

"Kurusu-kun…" Kokona seems scared of this, but Akira quickly shakes his head, signaling her to not worry.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's just a formal interrogation.

The police only asked him about him and Osana yesterday; about what the two are doing together, or even why she was back at the school in the first place.

He didn't even question about his past as a juvenile. You would think that the police would just try to put two and two together for no reason whatsoever.

At least this officer did not do such thing. Maybe she didn't know that?

With him being out of the room, he is followed by Megami, who is promptly bowing at the officer, "Thank you for your cooperation, Officer Satonaka."

The female now turns before him, slightly bowing at him, "Then, I am sorry for wasting your precious time, Kurusu-senpai."

"It is fine. I expect something like this to happen."

"Still, I will have to give my condolence to you, senpai. Najimi is, after all, your childhood friend."

Akira simply sighs.

Megami now pulls her head up, looking at him straight into the eyes, "Senpai, I shall find the reason for this event."

Hm?

"But, it's a suicide, right?"

"The police may have said so, but I refuse to believe that anybody could just commit suicide after being rejected. It is highly illogical for someone to even do such a thing. There must be a perpetrator behind this. For the sake of the peace of this school, I shall bring justice to this person."

She… sounds like someone he knew…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Chhhu!"

A short-haired female is seen sneezing a bit, before continuing her driving through the road.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do whatever you want."

Akira walks away from there, not wanting to be involved with her any longer.

This person…

If his work as a Phantom Thief is around here, then having another justice-oriented person walking around will not be a good thing, especially not with her.

He better not involve anybody for that matter.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day went by without much change.

Even with the police going over the case, this apparently did not stop the teachers from teaching them. As such, nothing seems to have changed that day.

Apparently, Osana's case may have been ruled out as just 'suicide'.

He wanted to go and meet her parents, but he is afraid that it is going to be a bother for them, so he just moved back toward his home.

Besides, not sure he bringing his cat along can help soothe the situation.

Ah, his parents are at home.

He can see the two's shoes at the shoe rack. They must have finished home earlier.

!?

"Please don't joke like that, Makoto-chan! There is no way Akira that smart. He has never been excelled in his study before."

"That is quite true, Okaa-sama. Akira is at the top among his peers at the end of the final semester."

Akira quickly moves his feet forward, now going toward the living room (while having the cat inside the bag tumbling around in there).

!?

Before him are two females.

One, inside business suit, is his mother, who just notices him home, "Akira, you've finally arrived home!"

"I'm… home…"

The other one, where his eyes couldn't stop looking, is none other than Makoto Niijima, one of the dear members of the Phantom Thieves, and also his…

"Akira, I didn't know you have a girlfriend?" his mother stands up, playfully angry at him, "You shouldn't have kept this a secret from your parents!"

"Well… I just thought that you are busy with…"

They literally never speak anything to him before. How would he expect that his mother, of all people, would react like that?

His mom seems to be really pissed off, "That's because you've never spoken to us before! You just walk straight to your room and only walk out there for dinner."

"You've never really at home."

"Can't help it, okay!? Your dad and I have a career to take care of."

At the end of her words, a middle-aged man walks out, with a business suit of his own, calling out his mother, "We should go now."

"Yes, dear," she nods at him as she now turns around toward the two, "Akira, will you take care of the home tonight? Both of us have a dinner with our boss."

He simply nods.

She then turns toward Makoto, "Will you take care of Akira for me?"

"Yes, Okaa-sama."

The two now walks out of there, leaving the younger ones alone in the house.

Makoto quickly turns toward Akira, smiling at him, "Looking at your parents… it feels like a déjà vu."

Hm? Now that he thinks about it, Makoto's sister, Sae, is also a career person that used to devote herself in her work. She sometimes even bringing work back to her home with her.

"Sis is no longer like that nowadays. She is more relaxed at home, now that she is no longer treated her work like a gamble."

The two now stares at each other.

Not just long ago that they spend their time together. The gap between the last time they did that with him returning home isn't very long.

Still, he feels like it is better if she just stay here with him.

Stay here…

Stay here?

"Wait, where are you staying tonight?"

"Ah," Makoto seems to be realizing of something, "I've forgotten to find a place to stay. I was coming here in a hurry…"

"Then, stay here."

That statement startles her. Her cheeks turn red with her lips now stutters, "S-stay here?"

Ah… miscommunication.

Akira quickly corrects his words, "You can stay in my room. I'll be sleeping on the couch."

"R-really? I don't mind... sh-sharing…"

"Me too, but my parents won't be so happy about it."

"O-of course… Your parents…"

Akira smiles wide, looking at his favorite student council president acting like that. She really takes her "study" real hard…

Makoto looks around, "Then, what about dinner tonight? Should we eat outside?"

"No," he quickly shakes his head, "You must be tired. How about I cook you something?"

She simply nods, having a wide smile on her face.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Akira, there's another reason why I'm here."

Queen suddenly calls out to him as they were having their meal, making Joker turns toward her.

She seems to be hesitant of saying what she wants to say, "As of current, cases reported similar to psychotic breakdown and mental shutdown can be found around this place."

Wait, what?

She continues, "I was asked as a favor with a detective agency that helped my sister, Shirogane Detective Agency to investigate this place as the agency's proxy. Naturally, Sis won't allow me to do so."

"But as soon as you told that the Metaverse Nav appears on your phone, I quickly dash in toward here. I just… I can't bear to think that you are getting involved with this again, alone."

"I see… are you saying that this has been going on for a long time?"

"Not sure. I still need to investigate past cases, if there is any. Anyway, I'll be around your school a lot often, so don't be surprised if you see me around."

Akira is now in a thought, "Say, Makoto…"

"What is it?"

"Can I tell my friends here about us?"

She nearly chokes on her food, "Wh-what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Akira simply chuckles at her sudden reaction as she looks away, blushing heavily.

"You are very impulsive sometimes…"

In truth, Akira was thinking of something else.

Psychotic breakdown…

This phenomenon appears thanks to an ally/enemy they know of, Goro Akechi, who is able to use Metaverse Nav and inflict it onto others along with mental shutdown.

The two incidents are the very thing that gave the authorities headaches for the longest period of time.

To think this happened around Akademi too… that sounds too strange to be true, but what if it is? Since when did that have been going on?

Then… are they another person capable of using the Metaverse Nav like they do? Are they someone like Goro?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

?1: THIS IS BAAAAADDDD!

?2: Calm down. What is it?

?1: THERE IS A BITCH INSIDE SENPAI'S HOUSE RIGHT NOW!

?2: Somebody is inside Senpai's house right now? Are you sure?

?1: Yeah! They seems to be really close right now! They even have a dinner together!

?2: Interesting. I should have seen this coming.

?1: What should I do!?

?2: What else? Do the same thing as you did with Osana, of course.

?1: But I-

?2: Are you going to let your Senpai walking away from you like that?

?1: NO! SENPAI IS MINE!

?2: Then do what you need to do.

"Ayano, it's time for dinner~!"

"Yes, mother!"

?2: You are, after all, an Aishi. Aishi never lose their men.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Um… why are you insisted on following us?" Morgana lets out a small wonder, "Can't you go ahead by yourself?"

It seems as Akira is getting ready to get out and go to school, Makoto is now walking beside him as well.

She now turning red as she looks away, "I… uh… I always wanted to do this…"

Do what?

She mutters, "This… walking to the school together… thing… I always wanted to try this…"

Well, ain't that cute?

Without any hesitation, Akira grabs her hand, with them now walking toward the school, holding hands of each other.

The college student is in shock, "Wha-"

"I always wanted to hold hands while walking…"

"Didn't we always do that?"

"To the school, of course."

The female now giggles, simply nodding as the two moves on toward the school.

The two finally reaches the gate of the school, and now apparently Megami and some other students are standing before the students who are passing by the gate.

She notices of them and quickly moves close toward the two, "Greetings, Akira. May I know who this person is?"

With that question, Joker quickly turns toward Makoto, "This is Megami Saikou, the School Council's president."

He then turns toward Megami, "This is Makoto Niijima, my girlfriend."

The short-haired girl quickly pulls out a card, "I am now working under this agency."

Megami grabs the card and decides to read it out loud, "Shirogane Detective Agency? I see, so they have finally come to help us."

Huh?

"You've asked for the help of a detective?" Kurusu is confused with her reaction.

Saikou simply nods, "As per instructed by the principal, I am not to make a big deal if I were to investigate this case."

Queen wonders of something, "Were you being told to investigate this case by your principal."

"Yes, but make no mistake. I am intended to catch the culprit if Najimi were not committing suicide."

"I see. Then, we will have a long talk together. I wish to know more about this case. How about during lunch time?"

The silver-haired girl nods, "Then, I'll be waiting."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As it is now lunch time, Makoto is now with the student council president at her office.

For now, Akira decided to just go and eat by himself. He did not wish to break any concentration his girlfriend has whenever she is working on something.

That and if he were to appear alongside her, he is afraid that Megami will start putting an extra eye toward him or something close. He can tell for sure that she will start suspecting of him for something.

Let's just say that it is better if there is nobody follow behind him awkwardly again.

Luckily for him, he has already packing a bento and is now moving toward the rooftop to enjoy the food.

"Kyaaa!"

The scream breaks his attention as he stops at the steps he is climbing at.

Before him is a girl; a black-haired girl with a long ponytail behind her.

She seems to have hit him while walking and has fallen onto the floor.

"Are you okay?" he tries to help her out, offering a hand for her.

She grabs his hand and is now slowly raising upward, "I-I'm… fi-"

"Hey, aren't you Ayano Aishi?"

The girl seems to be really in shock as she now stares at him, "S-senpai… you kn-know me?"

"Yeah. I helped you out last year, remember? You were a transfer student from Tokyo and I was told to help show you around. I'm not really a friend to all here in Akademi, of course I am going to remember some names."

"Y-you remember me…"

He can see a smile forming on her face.

Akira keeps on staring at her, who is really trying to hide her face away from his.

He then tries to speak up to her, "Say, how about we have a lunch together? I've hurt you after all. Let me make up to it."

Ayano seems to be really shock, slowly turning red as she nods slightly.

"Y-y-y-y-yes…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While that happen, Makoto and Megami are now sitting inside the office all by themselves.

The latter starts the conversation first, "So, is there anything I could help, Miss Niijima?"

"Yes, this may have nothing to do with the case, but have you heard any rumors from the students?"

"Rumors?" Saikou seems confused, "How can rumors do anything to help this case?"

Makoto calmly explains, "Rumors do often come from truth. They are either exaggerated or having details being changed from lips to lips."

"How can you rely on such unreliable sources? Those students do nothing but blabbering among themselves like bumbling fools," the president insists.

The former student council president mutters, "Still, without any concrete evidence to go with, you can only rely on rumors."

"I do not believe words from students who care nothing but themselves can even be trusted, but, if you really insist on hearing about it, I do hear one from one of the student council members."

"Owh?" her words piques Makoto's interest, "Would you like to tell me of it?"

"Gladly," Megami smirks, "I've heard that long ago, a student was found dead but the culprit has not been found by the police. At the end of the day, the case is announced to be suicide."

"Same thing happened before? Does anybody said how long has it been?"

"Nobody knows, but I do found an article of a murder happened in here back in 1980s."

"Really? Can you show me the article?"

Megami stands up as she moves to grab a piece of newspaper before giving it to her, "I found this in the library. It looks like it is deliberately hidden from views."

As she sees Niijima puts her attention toward the news article, she continues, "I also heard something stupidly unrealistic."

!?

"Stupidly… unrealistic?" Queen turns back toward her.

Saikou continues, "I've heard that apparently a ghost of the dead student from 1980s can be seen wandering around here."

!?

"Gh-ghost?" Makoto somehow tensed up from her words.

Megami continues her words, not noticing the college student's reaction, "Students are saying that she is now residing in the girl's bathroom at the third floor. They said that if you take a picture in there, regardless of days or nights, chances are you can see her appearing inside the photo."

"I-I-I see…"

She stands up, mumbling, "I-I-I will see if this r-r-r-umor is true or false…"

Makoto quickly runs out of there, clearly searching for her boyfriend, leaving Megami dumbfounded with her strange reaction.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Before Queen even running out of the student council's room, Akira is now spending the lunch time with his junior, Ayano.

Throughout the meal, she keeps on looking away and he can see red tinges on her cheek.

Wondering of her strange action, Kurusu springs a question, "Say, Aishi-san, I didn't exactly know of this, but you were transferred here from somewhere, right?"

"Y-yes…" she nods, still not looking at him, "I was in Tokyo throughout my childhood. My mother wanted to send me here because she wished for me to study in the same environment as hers before."

"Tokyo, huh? Small world. I was transferred to Tokyo last year when I was convicted."

She slowly nods, "I know."

"You do?"

"Everyone knows that."

Of course.

There has never been a student from Akademi that were arrested before. Obviously, he must have become the talk of the town last year.

Akira is now starting to wonder if she will ever look at him with how she keeps looking away even when they were conversing.

He intended to make an eye contact with her at least once, "What were your parents do in Tokyo?"

"They were part of a research group. My father works in the administration part of the group while my mother is a scientist. I don't know what were they researching, but then suddenly they wished to simply move here."

Scientist, huh? Maybe he could ask Futaba if there is any scientist named Aishi working with her.

Nah, sounds like stalking to him.

He continues, "My parents worked with the Saikou Conglomerate."

"The one… owned by the student council's president's father?"

"Yeah, that one," he nods at her, "They were really busy; always have an excuse not to stay at home."

"I… I see… my parents too…"

"Your parents are busy too?"

She slowly nods, "Yesterday they've finally returned home from America after almost half a year. My mother said that she was looking for an old friend…"

Meeting an old friend far away and took almost 6 months to finally get home? That is way worse than his parents.

Ayano suddenly stands up, "S-Senpai… it's almost time for class to start…"

Joker now stands up beside her, "Then, if you want to, we can still talk like this next time."

She bows at him and quickly runs away from there.

Akira simply looks at how she disappears from his sight.

It's good to have a friend that you are close to in here.

 _I am thou, thou art I._

 _Thou hast acquired a new vow._

 _It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Aeon Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power._

Whoa, did he just unlocked two Confidants in one day?

It almost feels like he is doing a completion run of a game of some sort…

With that, Makoto runs toward him, before finally stopping herself as she now breathing heavily, trying so hard to keep herself calm, "There… there you are…"

"Makoto, what's wrong?" he looks at her, mixing up his worry with his wonder of her running around in a hurry.

"Akira… I need your help…"

 **-=-=-=-=-[OMAKE]-=-=-=-=-**

On this very rooftop, Akira just stands there, looking at this strange green-haired girl focusing way too much on her phone.

It feels like he has never seen her inside her class.

Sometimes when he checked the windows, he could see her, on this very spot, playing with phone.

There is also an instance where he sees her inside the Gaming Club, playing video games or looking through emails.

But never has he seen her at her class.

What's up with this girl?

The female student accidentally pulls out the cord of her earphone from her phone, blaring out a loud song from it.

She quickly tries to turn off the music as she reliefs in sigh.

Akira decides to call out to her, "Reincarnation; Kiria Kurono, right? My favorite."

The girl is clearly shocked by his words, "Ah, Kurusu-senpai, you've startled me!"

"You know me?"

"Of course I know you, silly! I played Persona 5."

Emm… what?

"Now, if you excused me, I am going to send pointless emails to YandereDev!"

"Who?"

Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

The girl keeps on rambling about this indie game called Yandere Simulator, and about how YandereDev takes way too long time on finishing this game. She also seems to have a clear hatred toward those who are bothering YandereDev with pointless emails, though it should be noted that she did the same herself.

[1 day later]

"Goodbye, Kurusu-senpai! We'll meet again!" the girl walks away from there.

He didn't even know her name.

 _With the birth of the Happy Squirrel Persona, I have obtained the-_

"Nope."

 **Yeah… I just had to make that omake. Probably gonna make more in the future on different characters of Yandere Simulator, if you want to.**

 **Okay, there is no Memento this chapter. I just thought that I shouldn't be dragging the story long enough.**

 **So, regarding the last chapter where I asked about the whole Akira/Makoto/Ayano thing. The question is still open.**

 **Why? Well… Don't judge a knife by it's… um… what is that thing called; the thing where you put your knife inside like a sword so that it won't injure anybody? Yeah, that one.**

 **The question is still going to open until rank 9 of Aeon Arcana where you shall be helping me with the decision making (maybe… probably…)**

 **I will say that the Palace is not Ayano's. The story starts with Osana is still around, so there should be no reason for her to have one in the first place.**

 **Palace is for those who already did something with their distorted desires.**

 **Next: Makoto is now venturing into the realm of girl's bathroom, because apparently she wishes to see if there is really a ghost there… Yeah… not a good idea there…**


	3. Paranormal Investigation

A/N: Apparently I just realized that I have made a mistake on Kokona's last name. I wrote 'Haruna' instead of 'Haruka'. This is very embarrassing to me and let's just forgets that ever happen… (It's not like I could just edit the chapters in the Doc Manager and repost it) that's not the point! The point is that she will be renamed as Haruka from here on out because that's her canon name! Meanwhile, I may fix the name if I have the time and even remember to do so afterward.

Paranormal Investigation

The sky is clear, blessed with the sunny day.

A young, black-haired girl is simply sitting on the swing, but isn't playing with it like the kid beside her.

In fact, she is the only one that shows no sign of fun in the park, making her stand out among the kids.

Somewhere at a bench nearby, a couple just watch the girl, each having different facial expressions, showing different emotions.

The male one mutters, "What are we going to do? We have been asking for so many helps. We have gone through so many doctors!"

The female, on the other hand, simply resting her head onto the man's shoulder, clinging tightly around his arm, "I don't see the problem here, darling."

"The problem? The problem is Ayano isn't acting like a normal kid should. Not in my entire life have I ever seen her smiling. She looks so… empty…"

"It's normal for an Aishi to be acting like that, darling. I was like that to before… I met you~."

The male seems to be shivering on his free hand, "That's the thing, Ryoba. I don't want… our daughter… to be like… you…"

He slowly turns toward her.

…

…

!

He sees her grinning, smiling at him as she whispers at him, "That's not for you to decide…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We're moving!?"

The male's voice is heard panicking.

The young girl, now already in her teen years, just stares at the door as she hears the voices conversing toward each other.

The female's voice is heard after the man's words, "We have to, darling. Wakaba is no longer with us. All of her research has been given toward others."

"Wh-what about you? Ryoba, what about you? Aren't you the fellow researcher on cognition? You are one of her close friends. Shouldn't the research be given to you instead?"

"Darling, the only reason why I agreed to join the research team is because you keep on pushing for the research to keep progressing. I had to make sure that you didn't use that as an excuse to meet Wakaba alone. I know how a single mother can be quite alluring~…"

"What are you talking about!? I'm worried about our daughter! I don't think I can even understand what she's thinking! That research is the only way for me to do that! If I can understand her, maybe I can turn her into a normal girl…"

"Silly, darling~! I've told you before. All Aishi are like that. My mother was like that, and so are the rest of Aishi before her."

"No! That makes no sense no matter what! Emotions aren't genetics; you don't pass down your emotionless attitude to your kids! And we are not living in those… boys' mangas about clans having certain tics and what not! And I… don't want her to do what you did… to me…"

"Darling~, I don't _know_ what you are talking about…"

"I…I…"

The male's voice seems to be hesitating right now, before he mutters one last time, "I'm going to call Shidou. There is no way I'm going to let that research to just disappear like that…"

The outside is now silenced.

The door is then knocked three times, with the female now calls her out, "Ayano, are you awake?"

"No, mother," the girl responds.

The door now opens up, with a female enters the room, sitting next to her on her bed, "Ayano, we will be moving away from Tokyo. Are you fine with that?"

She nods. There's no reason for her to say no.

Her mother smiles at her, "Don't you worried about what your father said. You simply haven't met the one yet."

"The one?"

"Your beloved one. One day you will found that person, and when you do, _do not_ ever let go of that person. You are as good as dead if your beloved one escapes your grasp."

The young girl slowly looks down toward the floor.

Her mother continues, "That person shall be the only way for you to feel what I felt; emotions. If you do found them, there shall be no replacement and there shall be no second chance."

The girl now stares directly toward her, "Do you… feel happy when you are married to dad?"

"Happy? I felt that the moment I met him. I know he is the one, and I do everything I can to have him. Our love is greater than anybody in this world and none shall separate us from each other, not even a god from the underworld. I am, after all, making sure of that."

The mother now creeps up, closing her face to her daughter's, "You will do the same. Understood?"

She nods.

Feelings? She would love to learn that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Present day]

"Are you sure about this?"

Makoto nods.

Both she and Akira are now standing before a door that quite possibly leads to the progress of their investigation; the female's toilet.

Her hands are shivering at this very moment, hovering over the door knob.

Akira looks at her with a very concerning look; ghost has never been her favorite topic of discussion, let alone ghost hunting.

When discussed, she will immediately blurt out how unscientific ghost hunting is, ranging from how strange it is for ghost hunters to collectively agree that specters leave out electronic wave to objecting on the usage of mediums who may have been schizophrenic this whole time, while at the same time screaming out whenever she watches a ghost story together with him at the movie theater (which leads to him having to stay with her for a moment at her own home and wishing that her sister did not catches them together; of course, until the older Niijima do find out about them and just approve of him in the house alone with her).

In short sense, she is scared of ghosts.

He remembers all too well during the time they were searching for Futaba at Sojiro's house and the lights just went out due to blackout. Makoto mistook her as one and scream out in fear, shivering on his leg while apologizing to his sister numerous times.

He thinks she is cute that time, but don't tell her that. That's not a memory she is fond of.

Snapped out of this overly long monologue, he realizes how his girlfriend is still not moving forward.

Akira mutters, "Would you like me to accompany you?"

Makoto quickly turns toward him, "Yes- I mean, no! This is the female's bathroom. It will be suspicious if a male student and a female visitor enter the female bathroom together. What if it becomes a scandal? What will your mother says?"

"Eh… she will probably be overly excited. In a positive way, that is. You saw how she acted yesterday."

"That-" and now she is unable to speak anything about that.

Truly, the Kurusu family may have a strange way of interacting with any event, considering Akira's ability to give off random comments in any of their conversations, hiding those comments under his quiet nature.

"Um… Kurusu-kun, who is this? What are you two doing in front of the restroom?"

The two now turning toward Kokona, who just stands there, looking at the two with a confused look on her face.

Akira quickly replies, "Haruka-san, this is Makoto Niijima, my girlfriend from Tokyo."

"G-girlfriend?" Kokona seems to be really shock of this.

Her eyes are widening and her mouth is closed with her hands, "Kurusu-kun, I didn't know you are dating someone! I know I asked that question before, but I didn't expect you to do that! You are like, a really quiet student among us all."

Makoto slowly turns, facing her, "Hi, nice to meet you. You are…?"

"Kokona Haruka. I am Kurusu-kun's classmate. It is also nice to meet you. By the way, what are you two doing here?"

The older female responds to her, "I was… investigating about the ghost in the bathroom."

"Why?"

Akira quickly sneaks into the conversation, "She is helping with the police investigation on Osana's suicide. We just happened to learn about the ghost and kinda interested that way."

"Ooh, are you a cultist, Kurusu-kun? It seems I learned a lot about you ever since your return from Tokyo. You aren't really opened up to anyone here. It's like you are almost emotionless before."

"Really? I didn't know that," Makoto turns toward him, "But I do recall Ann talking about how you look so blank the first time she sees you, almost as if you are calculating on how to respond. At least that's what she told me."

Why does that sounds like he is a character from a dating sim? Like he is doing a calculative 100% playthrough or something?

He just really has no idea what to say before. He is still a Fool before, after all.

Kokona snaps him from his mind with her words, "If you want to ask about the occult stuff, you should ask our classmate, Oka Ruto."

"Oka Ruto?"

"You don't remember? The goth one? She's the one with very heavy eyeliner. She is also the president of the Occult Club. Just ask her anything about the supernatural stuff, I'm sure she knows about it."

Supernatural stuff? She sounds like Chihaya up to eleven.

Makoto now wonders, "What about the ghost here?"

"Ah, lately the ghost just seems to have disappeared. I have no idea why but something may have made her gone just like that. Anyway, I should be going home. Nice to meet you, Niijima-san."

The purple-haired girl simply walks away from there, leaving the two standing before the toilet.

Akira now mumbles, "I guess kaa-san won't hear anything about us in the restroom alone."

"A-Akira!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

?3: Are you there?

?2: I'm always here, Nemesis. So, how's your observation?

?3: From what I can see, that outsider is indeed our target's lover.

?2: Interesting. Did you know anything about her?

?3: Other than her name and that she is a year older than our target, no. Also, for some reason, I can't hurt her.

?2: That is not something I would hear from you. Is our Nemesis-chan getting weaker now?

?3: No. I do not know why, but that outsider is not something we can just hit and run. She is dangerous.

?3: What about our target's phone. Have you hacked it yet?

?2: I still need time. There is this strange firewall blocking his phone.

?3: Is there a chance that he may have a hacker or a programmer for that firewall back in Tokyo?

?2: Are you implying that someone is better than me? Don't joke with me. Only Medjed can defeat my superior ability.

?3: Whatever you say. I will continue observing the outsider and the target.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

?2: I have a bad news for you.

?1: What is it?

?2: Your senpai is already dating someone.

?1: Wha- That's impossible! I just got close to him today.

?2: I saw that, and I am grateful for that.

?1: What do you mean?

?2: If you can close to him, then you can get close to her as well.

?1: Are we… really going to do that?

?2: Unless you have a better solution, that is.

?1: I-

?2: Don't you worry. She is now inside our territory. If she's dead, they won't be able to mess around with us. Just listen to whatever I told you to.

?1: But…

?2: Owh? Is that a regret I hear?

?1: Senpai doesn't like that… right?

?2: If you are willing to lose your senpai, then you don't need to kill her.

?1: …

?1: Fine… I'll find a way…

?2: Good girl.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Panther: Have you reached him yet, Makoto?

Queen: I did. I've been inside his school earlier.

Noir: How does it look like?

Queen: It looks exactly what I've imagined a private school is. Empty, with not much students around. Compare to this place and Shujin, our school feels more like a stadium. Not to mention, they treat the suicide like how our school treat Shiho's case.

Panther: That bad? I guess that's how a private school runs. They don't need Shidou telling them to move on.

Joker: Akademi has always been so harsh with their students.

Fox: Then, how about the case?

Queen: Police has ruled it as suicide, but the student council president is really pushing for the investigation. She's gladly asking for my help and provided me with necessary information.

Joker: Makoto has found her long lost sister.

Oracle: lol!

Skull: I can't imagine seeing two Makoto in the same place together!

Queen: She's not like me, she's far from it. I feel like she distrusts the students a lot.

Joker: Then, the big sister needs to teach the little sister a lesson.

"Akira, would you please stop that?" Makoto mutters beside him on the couch with her face turning red.

Queen: At least she's receptive enough to listen to some rumors if it may related to the investigation on hand. It is said that years ago, somebody was murdered.

Oracle: You think those two cases have something in common?

Panther: But none of those two sounds alike. It could be just a coincidence.

Queen: I don't know. I have a feeling it has something to do with each other. I can't shake this feeling when I heard about it.

Joker: We are going to interrogate the ghost tomorrow.

Skull: WHAT!?

Queen: Akira is just j-joking there. The ghost is just part of the rumor…

The two now puts off their phones with the older one glares at him with her red eyes, "Seriously, you need to stop that…"

"I'm just joking…"

"I know that," she mutters with a sigh, "You really do love joking around. I even heard Sis mumbling how you gave her a hard time with your snarky comments during interrogation…"

Slowly, Kurusu grabs her shoulder, tensing her muscle in the process as he pulls her head close to his shoulder, "I just want you to calm down. We're doing this together. Ghost or not, I'm with you…"

She turns red, closing her eyes, "You really are…"

"A-AKIRA!"

With their heads turning toward their back, Makoto screams out in shock, "O-okaa-sama! We're not doing anything weird!"

Behind them is Akira's mother, who is now pointing her finger straight toward them with a shock on her face, "H-how close have you two been getting!?"

Makoto shakes her head, "I-I'm just resting my head, that's all!"

"Have you two kissed yet!?"

This time, the former school council president is unable to defend them both. She turns toward Akira, hoping for him to help, but he just sits there, not saying anything.

The two stare at each other for a moment, with mother Kurusu now snapping them both together, "You two DID kiss each other before!"

She quickly turns toward where the kitchen should have been at, "Otou-san, we're going to have a grandchild!"

"WHAT!?"

Facepalm.

With that, the night goes away after Akira and Makoto's epic fail on trying to convince his parents otherwise.

Seriously, when did these two starts acting like this?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Within a room that is filled with anime figures and some trashes wrapped up inside bags, an orange-haired girl is seemingly wasting her time before her computers.

Yes, computers.

This girl seems to have way too many computers, way more than the numbers that Let's Players usually have before them.

Why? Why else?

As a resident hacker of the infamous Phantom Thieves, having computers seem to be giving her advantage in her line of work.

The number of computer seems to be showing the superiority of the hacker, is what this author, who has no idea how to hack stuff, would like to say.

This young girl, Futaba Sakura, is going through folders over folders, looking over reports on a certain research.

At the end of the battle against the evil god, a prosecutor named Sae Niijima is able to procure a Futaba's mother, Wakaba Isshiki's research on cognition that was stolen before and has shared the content to Futaba as a sign of grateful for her and her father, Sojiro for helping the woman with her case.

That said, Futaba waste no time to analyze the content, just to understand how late mother has gone with her research.

Think of this as her way of remembering her mom.

The content did not have much of what she knows during her work as part of the Phantom Thieves. Her journey before has taught her much about cognition, something she wished she could share with her mother.

Still, there's something that bothers her.

So many times that she sees the name 'Ryoba Aishi' inside the reports.

She do remembers hearing her mom speaking about this Aishi person, calling her a good help but not more than that. Her mom just loves talking about Sojiro instead.

The way she sees this Aishi character, every time she is the one that writes the reports-

Ah?

Futaba notices something that catches her attention.

As the Phantom Thieves' resident hacker, it is pretty much a given that she increases her friends' phones' security from any other potential hackers.

She created a really strong firewall for that purpose.

As of now, seeing how Akira and Makoto are now back as the thieves, she sees herself as their supporters and gives extra attentions on their firewalls. She would rather if nobody found and learned about the Metaverse Nav.

As of late, she has been noticing attempted hack on the firewalls of them both, especially on Akira's phone, and right now that person may have found a way to bypass it.

Not on her watch, though.

Quickly, Futaba increases the strength of the firewall even more, locking this hacker away from it. She made sure to use the most complicated program ever that it will take months to even start hacking again.

As a bonus, she hacks this person back. It's better to know who your enemy is.

She called herself Info-chan? Strange…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Please refrain yourself from trying to hack these two phones. You have no idea what path you are taking.

-Yours truly, Alibaba-

S-Somebody just hacked her computer!

SOMEBODY JUST HACKED HER COMPUTER!

Info-chan's pride is seriously damaged right now.

She always sees herself a genius hacker, someone that only Medjed could defeat.

She has been hacking and getting everyone's information left and right, thus why her nickname is Info-chan.

She uses those information for either the school newspaper or as a trade for those who wanted information. You only need to pay her with money or panty shots.

Why panty shots? Because those are money makers on their own.

But this… Alibaba…

Who is this enigma!?

To see herself being defeated by an unknown fellow… is quite an interesting development.

So, Akira Kurusu indeed has a hacker ally by his side.

Still, nobody hack her computer and gets away with it.

Time for her Nemesis-chan to work on her duty.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, Makoto excused herself to stay inside the library. She wished to research more on the old murder case. There should be something more she could learn.

Either way, it is now a class session and Akira has no way of helping her. She wouldn't want him to skip class either.

And so, his attention is now set on this girl named Oka Ruto.

He stares at this person Kokona already pointed out; a female student with a really long, dark blue hair with really thick eyeliners around her eyes.

This Oka Ruto just sits at her desk, quiet and not speaking to anybody. Sometimes she is seen reading a thick book that is surely not their text book, and indulge herself without the care in the world.

When the break arrives, Oka quickly runs away, out to the rooftop (Yes, he is following her) and now stalking these two sisters.

What on earth is she looking at? Why would she stalk them like that?

Maybe he should try and get her attention, "Um… Oka Ruto, I assume?"

!?

The girl is taken aback by his sudden greet, nearly fallen by herself before she is able to find a bearing on herself, "Y-you are…"

"I'm… Akira Kurusu? Your classmate?"

"I know that…" she mumbles, looking away as she wonders, "You are interrupting me."

"Interrupting you?"

"Those two Basu sisters," she points her finger at the two she was peeping at as her voice is slowly disappearing, "I am trying to catch them on act, the moment they decided to show themselves as demons."

Wha-?

Is she…

Is she shy?

"Um…"

"Wh-what do y-you want?"

"I was… going to ask you a question or two about the ghost in the girl's bathroom."

Oka is really startled by that request.

Her head slowly turns side to side, seemingly checking out their surrounding as she mutters back to him, "F-Follow me…"

With that, the strange girl now brings him into one room he has no idea even exist within the campus.

This room, dubbed as Occult Club from outside, unlike most other clubrooms in the Akademi High. Instead of having the tile and the wall similar to the classes in the buildings, the club seems to look like a study room for rich people.

Rich people who are obsessed with ghosts, aliens and demons, according to some of the books on the racks.

"B-be careful with your steps…" she points out at him.

Startling, he noticed how he nearly trips a candle on the… floor? Candles on the floor?

Wait, is that a pentagram?

Is this club trying to summon a demon or something?

He can even see a skull with a knife on its forehead on the desk nearby the circle.

Oka goes to sit on a nearby high-class chair, as she now mutters, "Y-you want to ask about th-that ghost in the bathroom? The one who got murdered long ago?"

"That one. Do you have any detail about that murder case and the ghost?"

"B-before I tell you th-that, will you trade information with me?"

Information?

Akira wonders, "What do you want to know?"

"How do you have that… demon living inside you…"

"Demon? What are you talking about?"

Oka leans forward, "I can see… that demon. It's not clear to me, but I can see that demon has a pair of black wings and a top hat…"

Sh-she can see his Persona? She can see Arsene?

How is that even possible? Even Chihaya, the fortune teller in Tokyo couldn't do that!

His eyes move all over the place, seeing how… occult the Occult Club is.

Could this place have some serious shit instead of just people gathered for their strange interest? That pentagram looks convincingly real, and that looks like a real skull.

If he didn't know any better, he would say that he accidentally stumble upon a Palace.

Oka doesn't seem to notice of his actions and keeps on rambling, "I want you to teach me how to get that. I have been researching on ways to summon a demon. That has been the main objective of the Occult Club."

Huh…

Of all the conversations he has been into, this, by far, is the weirdest one he has stumbled upon. Now, what is he going to tell her? Lies? Truth? Combination of both? Or just another random remark he can make on the go?

"How about tell me all about the ghost first?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Within the room of books (library), Makoto goes through the archives, checking out papers over papers.

If there is indeed someone getting murdered in the past, they should be some sort of news reported. She checked with the agency she's helping and even her sister, but the answer won't arrive in the nearest time, so she had to find out about it herself.

As she goes through papers on the table, she suddenly decides to stop and ponders of something.

What if… this school hides about the incident, just like what Shujin tried to do before with Kamoshida's case?

This place is, after all, not connected to the city in Tokyo. Any changes of heart that occur after the fight with Yaldaboath won't be affecting them here.

In conclusion, that is why the Metaverse Nav app appears in here.

Makoto pulls out her phone, now wonders if she could try and input the headmaster's name inside the phone.

It seems the current headmaster is still the same one as before.

?

Queen quickly turns around, seeing a girl with black haired in ponytail stalks her from afar before hiding herself.

She quickly stands up from her chair, moving and inspecting this strange student, "Can I help you?"

The girl is really shock, looking at her as she tries to look away, "Er… I…"

"What is it?"

"I… I just wonder if… if you really are senpai's lover…"

"Senpai? Are you perhaps referring to Akira Kurusu?"

She nods, looking straight toward her, wishing to hear an answer from her.

Makoto stares back at her. It is clear to her, judging from this girl's cold hard stare that she has some sort of connection to him.

A crush, perhaps?

"I'm sorry, but I am."

"Ah…" the girl now looks down.

Her eyes suddenly move toward the table, seeing the papers, "What… were you doing with those newspapers?"

"Those? I was looking for any clue about a murder related to the ghost in the bathroom."

"Are you an occultist?"

"No, I simply wish to learn more."

The girl now moves toward the papers. Her eyes wildly going through them as she turns around toward the older girl, "You won't find it here."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I've checked on that case before. I didn't find the news about that, but I heard rumors that the headmaster really hates listening about that case."

Queen now wonders of this, "That's odd. Why would he do that?"

She then turns back toward the student, "What about you? Do you know anything about that?"

"I found the news not long ago. I still have that if you want to."

"That's good to know, but I really want to know about that. Can you tell me anything about it?"

She simply nods.

The two girls now sit side by side as Niijima now hear what the girl has to say.

"The student in that case was murdered at the cherry blossom tree in our school. She was found on one of the branches on the morning and was said to have been murdered before the school ended on the day before."

"The case was well known back then due to a journalist's mistake of making one of the female students of this school a suspect. That journalist is said to have really pushed for her to be the culprit even after she was proven innocent until he just disappeared one day."

"Although…" the girl looks down, "I've found a blog in the internet that speculates that the only reason why she is innocent is because she was crying out loud in the court and hinders the session to the point that the case is being cancelled a lot, till the last one starts and ends with the judge calling her innocent without any investigation. There is also the fact that the judge and his family disappeared right after the case is closed."

"That is strangely specific," Makoto wonders again, "You will need to give me the link to that blog so I could check the validity of that."

She nods again.

The girl suddenly looks away, seemingly hesitating for a bit, "Um… senpai is… Senpai is very important to me…"

?

"Before I met him, I was nothing. My life isn't as good as other kids. My mom and my dad rarely ever spend enough time with me, especially my mom. Her attention is only for my dad alone. But when I met senpai the first time, I felt like my life has become better. I know at that very moment that senpai is everything for me."

Makoto sighs, "You… want me to break up with him?"

"I know this is too much for me to ask, but-"

"You're not the only one who felt that way…"

The girl is silenced by her words. Her lips frowning as she now stares straight toward her. Her eyes shift from calm into something else.

Makoto continues, "I remember what happened back in Tokyo during the Valentine's Day. Akira, accidentally, is quite a charmer. He attracts so many attentions to himself that a lot of women just… misinterpret his words."

"But he's not at fault here. He is simply being nice to everybody, even to the point of helping others with their problems willingly. To me, and to others around him, he is like someone we all wish exists in our life before our problems begin."

"I am sorry to hurt your feeling or anything, but I don't want to end our relationship from a simple request from someone else, not after he is the one who confessed to me before."

The girl seems to be taken aback by her words. Her look turns into an expression of disbelief.

"If you really want to be with him that bad, you will have to take him from yourself. Of course, I won't back down from that either."

The girl now stands up as she quickly walks away from there.

She swears to god that the girl glares at her before disappearing from her sight. She also swears that she sees the word 'Rank 2' in a brief when the girl glared at her.

Makoto now turns back toward the papers, mumbling, "I should clean these up then…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The ghost is now a vengeful spirit," Oka explains toward Akira, "She roams not only the bathroom, but also the tree where she was found. It seems as of late, the ghost is really riling up for some reason. She no longer stays in those two place, but I saw how she appears almost everywhere around the school, as if she is looking for something."

Now this has gone to the realm of make-believe.

He may believe in creation myth and such (thanks to his Persona, of course), but there is no way he could just believe an apparition.

Not when Futuba also sees an apparition of her mom, who is actually her cognition going haywire.

Wait, could it be…

"Do you know any place where the ghost may pop up frequently aside from the two places?"

The bathroom is obviously a no go, and the tree is still with police tapes around.

The blue-haired girl stares at him, "Our class. She appears inside our class very often."

"Thank you, that's all I need to know."

Akira is about to walk out of there, as Oka calls him out, "Wait, about the demon…"

"The demon you are referring to is my mask. Simply accepts why you are doing what you are doing and rip that mask of yours. Then, you can have one."

That's… a truth…

Half-truth is still true, right?

She didn't need to know about the whole 'rip that mask' being literal.

That shit's painful…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The school session finally ends; with his class is now having only him and Kokona in there, cleaning up the class together.

Makoto then enters the class, looking around, "So, this is your class."

"Niijima-san?" Kokona is the first one to notice her, "Are you meeting your boyfriend here?"

She nods, "Yes, Akira just texted me, telling me to come here."

"Here?" the purple-haired girl now turns toward the sole male in the class, "Why? Are you two doing something here? Ooh, is it something scandalous?"

Inside his bag, Morgana purrs out, "Aren't you quite a man, Akira?"

"I-it's nothing like that," Akira looks away.

Makoto glares at him, "Stop stuttering, I know you deliberately do that to make people misinterpret you."

Kokona chuckles as she grabs her bag and walks away from there, "Well, I'm off! Don't stay of too late or the gate will close."

With her gone, the only girl left turns toward him, "Did you find anything?"

"I do. Apparently the ghost just didn't stay in one or two place anymore. Also, this place is now its favorite place to come."

With that, Niijima quickly looks around, seemingly cautious with her surrounding, "Is she… here?"

"Want to find that out?"

"What?"

"Mementos."

 _Candidate found._

Seeing swirling red and blue around them, they found themselves standing inside what appear to be a distorted red class.

The three now looks around in shock with Akira mutters, "Never thought this actually works out."

He noticed how he is no longer in his school uniform, but now he is wearing black trench coat over his gray shirt and red gloves on his hands. He also notices that his face has his signature bird mask.

Makoto also has a change in appearance, sporting a dark blue and black skintight suit with black leather corset around her and long scarf on her neck. She also has her iron mask on.

Morgana also has his own change. Instead of being a cat in a mask, he becomes a cat… in a mask… A cartoon cat to be more specific; bigger than usual and now standing on two feet.

"We're in Mementos?" the cat is the first to show a reaction, "Even in our Phantom Thieves outfits? How do you know this is going to work?"

"I don't. I just heard that the ghost keeps on popping up, similar to Futaba's Sphinx and I thought that since the Mementos we've been to before is a Palace of people keeping quiet about their own problems, this school may also turning into one as well."

"What if this place is a person-specific Palace then?" Makoto stares at him.

"That's why I said I didn't know it would work."

She sighs, "So you're saying the ghost is a cognitive? But whose?"

"No idea. How about we find that out?"

Before they even started to go out from there, they suddenly stop as they heard something eerie.

"AAIIIIISSHIIIIIIIII!"

 **And this brings us to a cliffhanger.**

 **Yeah, I kinda forgot about Morgana, again till I reached the last scene. Meh, I'm sure during recess you don't just walk around with the bag with you, and he shouldn't be showing himself around and getting more attention to himself.**

 **Now, I would like to remind all of you, especially that certain someone to stop treating this story as if you already know how the story goes. Speculation is fine, btw because it's fun to read.**

 **Now, trying to enforce your idea to me, on the other hand, is not cool. If you think the YanSim part of this story is going to be another 'Yan-chan go and kill people because why not' then please stay away from that mindset.**

 **This story is going to be P5 specialty of 'Who done it'. Yes, P5 have been doing that for throughout the game and if you didn't realized that, don't call yourself P5 fan. Or rather, go check and analyze the game some more because listening to the fanfic writer who didn't even finish the game yet and rely solely on Youtube videos is a bad idea.**

 **Please be civil and nobody is a chopped liver here.**

 **That said, have fun waiting because next:-  
Somebody isn't supposed to be in Mementos and now being chased by the vengeful ghost of the past. Finally, they encounter the illusive Nemesis-chan, who is also… a Persona user…**

 **Yup, things are definitely going to be shit for them.**


	4. Haunting

Haunting

(A/N: Oh my god, I have been procrastinating for a really long time. I found myself obsessed over another Persona 5 crossover fanfic I made and a super stupid story I posted in AO3 that I literally forgot to write about the next chapter. I am truly sorry about that.)

"AIIISHIIIII!"

!

Whimpering in a massive amount of fear, Makoto quickly grabs Akira's body, hiding behind him with all of her limbs shaking like crazy, "Wh-wh-what was that?"

Akira chuckles silently.

He finds this very adorable.

Pretty much why 90% of their movie dates are horror movies.

Hold on, there's no time for dilly dallying.

Whatever that scary voice is, he only knows one simple explanation for that.

"We're in Mementos right now. That should be a voice of a Shadow."

With those words alone, the former student council president slowly loses her shivers, pulling her head up as she looks around, "That should be it, right? Ghosts shouldn't exist in Mementos, right?"

The cartoon cat beside them mutters, "Even if a ghost exists here, they should be a cognitive here in Metaverse."

Wrong choice of words, Mona.

He just made her shivering once more.

He quickly speaks up to her, trying his best to calm her down, "Don't worry. Ghost cognitions are as vulnerable as other cognitions. You simply shoot them and they'll go away."

Hearing his words, Queen lets go of her grips, feeling better, "You're right. We can do just that if one appears, right?"

He nods, "Let's go and check the voice out then."

The three then goes out, running through the hallways of the red school building.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ayano has no idea where she is standing right now.

Just a moment ago she was at Akademi High as she always at every day.

She was busy doing whatever she was doing at that moment before realizing that she is definitely no longer in her own school.

There have never been red wallpapers used on the walls of the corridors of Akademi.

Where is she right now? How did she get here?

More importantly, what did her senpai and… that vile woman did in the class?

No, a more pressing question at hand is… WHAT IS THAT THING!?

"AAIIIIISSHHIIIII!"

For the first time ever, Ayano Aishi feels fear.

Xxxxxxxxx

The Phantom Thieves did not take too long of a time to reach where they heard the voice is.

Turning into a bigger part of the building, they now see a female student; standing close to a wall, with her whole being is shivering as her eyes could not stop looking at the figure before her.

This figure is in the form another female student, with brown hair let down and covering her face but her one yellow eye. Her skin looks pale and there is a headband around her head, with the front of it is in the shape of a triangle. There are also blue flames floating around her. Also, her legs do not touch the ground at all.

"Gh-gh-ghost!" Makoto points out.

The figure slowly turns around toward the three, mumbling at them, "DO NOT INTERFERE WITH MY VENGEANCE…"

Vengeance? What is she talking about?

Akira turns toward the damsel-in-distress, quickly noticing the face of the student in cowardice, "Ayano?"

"S-senpai…" she whimpers, almost to the point of tear.

"That girl…" Queen mutters, "Could it be… she was pulled into the Metaverse thanks to us?"

Could be.

Anybody within the range of the phone used to get into the Metaverse can enter the location, even if they do not notice of that.

One of the Phantom Thieves, Ann was pulled in the similar manner, and so is Makoto's sister, Sae.

But that must mean that the girl is nearby. He wonders why she is there near them when the school is supposed to have nobody around it any longer.

Thanks to Osana's death, there shouldn't be any club opened after school, and most students just want to get home as quickly as possible for safety reason.

Then why is she still in this school?

Morgana steps forward, questioning the ghost, "Who are you!? What do you mean, vengeance?"

"ME?" the ghost responds to him, "I AM BUT A VICTIM; THE VICTIM OF THIS MONSTER!" her hand seemingly points toward Ayano.

"Wh-what?" she is now filled with confusion, "What are you talking about? I don't know who you are…"

"YOU DON'T REMEMBER ME, AISHI!?" the ghost turns back toward her, "YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID TO ME, RYOBA AISHI!?"

Somehow, the name turns Ayano's face pale. It seems something enters her mind, as if she realizes of something.

"Ryoba Aishi?" Makoto tries to keep herself calm, with her hand holds onto Joker's close to her as she wonders of the name, "Is that your name?"

Akira quickly responds to her, "No, but her name is Ayano Aishi…"

He calls the girl out, "Ayano, do you know whose name is that?"

But instead of her, the ghost interferes them, "YOU FOOL! THIS GIRL IS RYOBA AISHI! SHE IS A MONSTER DISGUISED AS A HUMAN! SHE IS THE ONE WHO TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! SHE TOOK MY LIFE, MY DREAM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MY BELOVED SENPAI!"

"Be-beloved… senpai?" Niijima is confused with her choice of words, "What do you mean… she took that away from you?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _At the fountain within the school perimeter, a short-haired, black-haired student in Akademi's boys' uniform is seen sitting on a bench there. His eyes are constantly looking down, reading a book of some kind as he seems to not have any care for whoever walks nearby him._

 _Even when there is this brown, bobbed-haired girl moves close to him, calling out to him, "Senpai… senpai…"_

 _Still, the male student did nothing to pay any attention given to him by the female student._

 _"Yamada-senpai!" her tone is getting louder, startling him as he finally notices of her existence._

 _"Ah, it's you…" he mumbles, seems sighing as he smiles at her, "What can I help you with?"_

 _"Senpai…" the girl has this tinge of red on her cheeks. Her fingers fiddling onto each other, with her voice slowly heard into his ears, "Do you… do you have time after the school's end?"_

 _"Sure," he simply nods, "Do you want me to help you with anything?"_

 _"I…" the girl mumbles, "Can I… can we meet at the cherry blossom tree at the back of the school today?"_

 _The male simply stares at her for a moment, before nodding, "Okay."_

 _A wide smile formed before the girl, as she bows at him before walking away from there in a hurry._

 _It seems she can't wait for that evening._

 _If only a girl with a really long ponytail did not see everything…_

 _If only the girl did not have a rage before her face._

 _Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 _As the class goes on as usual, the evening reaches with the brown-haired girl quickly shuffles through her bag._

 _She seems very excited of meeting her senpai that she dropped her books off from the desk._

 _A girl luckily is around to help her out…_

 _The girl with the ponytail…_

 _"You seem happy," the girl asks her, "Is there good news today?"_

 _The bob-haired girl nods with a smile on her face, "Today is finally the day!"_

 _"The day? Whatever you are talking about?" the girl wonders at her tone of voice._

 _The brown-haired girl speaks up to her, "Today I will finally confess to Yamada-senpai!"_

 _"I see… do you think he will accept your love?"_

 _"I… I don't know…" the girl seems worried, "But I do know that no matter what, I will tell him how I feel about him!"_

 _The girl in ponytail snickers, "Of course. You have been waiting for this day to happen, after all."_

 _The girl with ponytail suddenly appears to have big grin on her face for a moment, "Can you… help me for a moment? It won't take long. Just follow me."_

 _If only she didn't agree to 'help' her, she could have dated her senpai…_

 _Then she won't have to be gagged and tied up by so many men in suits, bought into a warehouse and sees the girl she taught as her friend standing side by side with them._

 _With tears running on her face, the girl struggles to escape, only able to look at them with unvoiced and ignored plea of help._

 _The girl in ponytail steps forward, glaring at her with a sinister smile; the same grin she should have noticed before, "I'm sorry, but senpai won't be yours. Just like all the girls before you, I won't let you have him, not even in your dream. Don't take this too seriously. It's just… an Aishi should never loses sight of their beloved one."_

 _That is the last thing she heard, as the rest of the memory is filled with pain, blood and screams, with the last imagery she sees is the inside of a bathroom._

 _What's next is a dead body found inside the school's restroom, but with the details of the murder is so scarce, not a single soul knows what really happened._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That's… what happened to you?" Makoto mutters, unable to fully comprehend of what she just heard from the ghost, "That… sounds so cruel…"

All who heard her just stand there, unable to do anything.

This may have been just a cognition speaking, but the way she told her story sounds too real.

Ayano, on the other hand, has fallen onto the ground, sitting there as her head seems close to her chest. She looks too shock to even show her face as of now.

The ghost screams out again, "NOW, LET ME HAVE MY REVENGE, OR ALL OF YOU CAN DIE ALONGSIDE HER!"

Seeing the ghost getting near the girl, Akira pulls out her gun and shoots her, startling her as Makoto runs close to the ghost, smashing her fist as she pushes the ghost off from Ayano.

For someone who scared of the ghosts, she sure can punch hard.

Queen turns toward Aishi, grabbing her hand, "What are you doing there? Let's get out of here."

But, instead of doing what she was told to, Ayano simply mutters, "I… should have known… It was mom all along…"

"What are you-"

The girl interrupts her words, "My mom… is the killer. She's killed all of them… She told me about it, but… but I didn't believe her at first…"

Akira approaches the two, "Can we not talk about this at the moment? We should escape from here while we can."

"YOU ARE NOT GETTING HER OUT FROM HERE! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT OF MY LIFE TO KILL THAT BITCH!"

The ghost lets out one more high pitch scream, overflowing herself with black liquid as she quickly turns into a huge hundred-faced red Shadow called Legion.

"WE ARE VICTIMS OF ONE CALLED RYOBA AISHI, AND WE SEEK FOR RETRIBUTION!"

Mona warns his friends, "We cannot get out of here any longer! We have to fight her!"

They are right. There is no way they can just escape from here.

Together, all three of the Phantom Thieves grab their masks, pulling out their masks off from their faces, " **Persona!"**

There, stood a huge beside the cat, big giant with mask on his head and a rapier in his hand, known by all as the thief, Zorro.

Near the only female of the team at the moment, a silver bike with a face at the front, the female pope, Johanna.

Behind the leader, a winged figure in top hat and red eyes and smile, the gentleman thief, Arsene.

Niijima quickly takes note of their Persona, "Joker, why did I call Johanna instead of Anat?"

This must be what Igor warned about their powers are still new due to the Metaverse just re-opened.

In truth, both Morgana and Makoto should already have their ultimate, stronger Persona unlocked throughout their adventure as Phantom Thieves before. He also meant to summon his own strongest Persona, Satanael.

But, before Makoto could even say anything, they are shocked with a thunder attack near them.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" the ghost demands.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _It was a cleaning day for Aishi's household._

 _Ayano just finished with the last of what needed to be cleaned off._

 _Her phone's vibration startled her a bit as she grabs the phone and started to look into the message she gets._

 _?: Good morning to you._

 _AA: You again. What do you want?_

 _?: Just a simple greeting to a friend-in-crime._

 _AA: We are not friends. I don't have one._

 _?: Of course you don't. You and your mother are just alike._

 _AA: I don't understand where this conversation is going._

 _?: Playing dumb with me? Or do you really not know anything?_

 _AA: Tell me why you are texting me or I'll block this number._

 _?: Feel free to do so. I have more than one number to call you._

 _AA: Just get to the point already._

 _?: Fine. I have a bad news for you. I am unable to trace the whereabouts of your senpai's location._

 _Ayano is shock by this._

 _AA: What do you mean by that!? Didn't you claimed to be the best hacker in Japan?_

 _?: I am. I am better than even the famed Medjed. But that's not the point. The point here is that something strong has rendered your senpai's phone untraceable. From what I could tell, it is as if he is no longer using that phone._

 _Her hands are visibly shaken._

 _?: But I have good news to back the bad one. He is currently under probation for a year and after that year is over, he has no choice but to come back here. You still have a chance to get him._

 _AA: That's pointless… what if he found someone else already?_

 _?: I thought you are an Aishi. All Aishi knows the answer to that question._

 _AA: What are you talking about already?_

 _?: You really don't know, didn't you?_

 _The number is suddenly turn inaccessible, as if this girl calling herself Info-chan just decided to turn her phone off._

 _But her words linger in Ayano's mind. What does she meant by "All Aishi knows the answer to that question"? What is she implying about?_

 _The door suddenly opens up, with an older female with a ponytail hair similar to Ayano's but longer peeks into her room, looking around, "My, my, you have finished with your work."_

 _She simply nods as an answer, looking straight to this person she called 'mother'._

 _Her mother gives off a smile to her, which she can tell from just looking at the smile is filled with insincerity as it is fake, as she opens up her mouth, "If you have finished with your work, can you clean up the basement for me? I have to help your dad with the yard."_

 _Again, she nods as a simple answer as the woman walks out of the room._

 _Ayano now makes her way to where the basement is, and as she passes the living room, she sees that outside, her mother is indeed helping her father with the yard._

 _From her point of view, she can see her mother giving off a different kind of smile toward her husband, clearly different the smile she gave to her just now._

 _Maybe it's just the power of love? She really has no idea why the smiles she gave toward others are different._

 _She often gave the same fake smile toward others, and sometimes the smile felt unsettling against other female._

 _Truthfully, she has no idea who her mother really is to even understand the meaning behind the smiles. She barely opens herself up to her own daughter._

 _She only opens herself up to her father and her father only, always clinging to him wherever they are._

 _The woman doesn't even play with her own daughter since she was a little girl._

 _It's not like she let her play outside either. Most of the time she puts her daughter inside her own room, playing with herself and the dolls her father gave to her._

 _It is almost as if she doesn't care what happen to her, and treating her like… like… what was that word again?_

 _Ayano quickly shrug off that thinking, pulling her attention inside the basement instead…_

 _Wow, how long has been since this place last cleaned off?_

 _This will take a while._

 _Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 _And taking a while she did._

 _The dust is too thick that she can practically roll them into a ball and all the things here are all over the place._

 _Also, today she learned that her basement is like a really, really strange dungeon._

 _There is a chair bolted on the ground in the middle of the room, with the armrests are equipped with shackles._

 _Her father once told her that this home is her mother's childhood home._

 _Does this mean that her mother is into a strange kinky fetish?_

 _Should she ask her about this?_

 _Nah, she will probably use her typical answer of "It's nothing, dear" whenever she asked her about herself._

 _Her father doesn't seem to want to discuss about his wife, and at times he looks clueless about her, almost as if he didn't know her before they are married._

 _It must be the whole arranged marriage thing. It's quite a norm back then._

 _Ayano is now arranging the last box to the side, and with so many sweats on her face, she decides it is best to rest herself on the chair._

 _Nope._

 _The chair is uncomfortable at best. It doesn't seem made as a relaxing seat. It hurts her bum even._

 _But at least when she sits on the chair, she discovered a really strange box that attracts her sight._

 _The box is seen half opened and the inside can be seen clearly; tapes._

 _Ayano sees so many recording tapes inside the box, with so many labels with numbers on it._

 _She quickly looks around, seeing a cassette player nearby as she grabs a group of tapes labeled 'Basement Tapes' toward the player._

 _Xxxxxxxxxxxx_

 _This… this is unsettling._

 _Few tapes in and she has already felt shiver around her body._

 _It seems her parents really do love doing kinky stuff._

 _Based on the tapes, her father played as a victim who was kidnapped by a stalker girl, who is her mother, and they played the moment that the victim was forced to endure something "painful" while the kidnapper rambles about love and stuff._

 _They have been very committed to this that they recorded this into ten different tapes._

 _Might as well listen to the rest of them._

 _Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 _Those… felt almost too real to her._

 _The more she listens to them, the more she felt unsettling of these recordings._

 _She can't help but thinking that the recordings are real and not made up. The screams her father gave felt almost too real. The sickening laughter her mother gave was more emotional than the smiles she gave her all this time._

 _Is her father really been forced into a marriage with her mother? Is she a child born out of rape?_

 _But if these are real… why was she bothered to even record these? Doesn't that mean that she just left evidences around?_

 _The last one sounds like they have already married to each other, but her father's tone sounds like someone who already gave up all hope._

 _And the way her mother wished for these to be found, by her of all people…_

 _"Ayano, are you done already?" a male voice is heard._

 _It's her father's voice, calling for her._

 _The only person she tried to impress of… the only person beside senpai who she felt a bit of connection to… The person she forced a smile of just to make him feel better…_

 _Is he really… Did he… Are the tapes real?_

 _She should clean the tapes up. Maybe she should seal off the box? Her father wouldn't want her to find that out. She does not want to know how her mother will react if she knows that Ayano knows of these…_

 _She really doesn't…_

 _An emotion coming from her… just doesn't sound like a good thing anymore._

 _Ayano quickly closes the box, hides the player and runs out of the room, not knowing that day is the first time she felt uncomfortable of something._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To think that those recordings… everything mentioned in those tapes… are real…

She tried to ignore them and pass them off as her parents' weird hobbies… but if those are real…

She is a daughter of a serial killer… someone who may have involved herself with yakuza… and most importantly, a rapist…

What does this makes her then?

She has been stalking her senpai… is she doing exactly what her mom did to her dad?

Will she kidnap her senpai and forced him to love her?

" **Will you succumb yourself to what your mother called as 'a natural thing an Aishi would do?"**

Ah…argh… her head… pain… it hurts…

 **"Haven't you told yourself times and times again to not go down the path Info-chan suggested you do?"**

The pain… it hurts her head…

 **"Aren't you the one who hesitated to take the knife and kill that girl before? You even spare her life immediately after hearing her getting rejected."**

This pain… this voice…

 **"Are you just going to let every restrain you have so far to go to waste? Are you going to be like your mother, and do what she did to your father?"**

Her… father…

No… she won't be like her mom! There is no reason to go and kill everybody for the sake of love.

She wants him to love him like everyone else!

Yeah… that's what she wishes for! That's why she didn't do what Info-chan told her to do. She wants senpai to like her the way she is, not forcing him to even remotely accept her.

They spoke to each other already after so long! She does not want to mess that progression up!

 **"That is your answer then. You shall now work to win his heart."**

Yeah… that's what she will do…

 **"Then, I am thou, thou art I. You will show others that your love is as pure as everyone else, and becoming a better version of yourself!"**

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Damn this newly emerged power…

This Legion is way too strong for all three of them.

Right now, he can see that this Legion's weakness is physical attack, but that will be so useless if they can't even hit her in the first place.

The ghost keeps on spamming defense after defense, and they can only hit her with spells.

This Legion is resist against curse damage, which is what his Arsene is all about. Queen and Mona can dish out with nuclear and wind attack respectively, but with their Persona's current state, they will definitely take time to even hurt her.

If only they can just distract with something… something that can agitate the ghost and turn her attention away.

Wha- this feeling…

"Joker, check out the girl," Queen brings his attention up, having him turning to look at where Ayano stands.

She seems struggling of something, clutching her head in pain.

Headache… in Metaverse?

No, wait, could it be…?

With the girl now having her balance herself properly, he can see a black mask appears around her eyes. The mask looks like Haru's but this one is a lot bigger that only her jaw area is not covered by it.

Ayano slowly grabs the mask, struggling to pull it off and she finally did it after few seconds, having blood off from her eyes, now turning into blue flame.

Her body is now engulf in the same flame, only to disappear, leaving her with a clothing of black dress, moving down onto her legs, having slits that expose both of her legs fully, covering only her front and back of her legs.

Behind her, a humanoid creature appears, looking like a female human but with black eyes, grey skin, lacy clothing that only covers what is necessary and two pairs of bat wings; one on her back and one behind her head.

It appears to him that Ayano Aishi has gained a Persona of her own.

The Legion notices of her, quickly turning toward Ayano, "AAAIISSSHIII!"

"Enough!" Ayano screams out, pulling out a kitchen knife as she points the blade toward the Shadow, "I am NOT my mother, and I will never be like her! **Succubus!** "

The Persona, Succubus now blowing a kiss from her lips and somehow that affects the enemy that she started instead of hitting any of them, healing them instead.

"That status ailment…" Morgana mutters, "Is that Charm?"

Ayano runs close to them, now speaking up toward them all, "Let's take her down together!"

With all three of them giving her a nod, all four of them charge forward, holding their melee weapons and goes toward the Legion striking her down numerous times, finishing it off with an All-Out Attack.

WE SHALL BE TOGETHER, MY LOVE

Ayano ends the attack with her own slash, right onto one of the faces as she lands onto the ground, chuckling for a moment as Legion shots out black blood out of her being.

The Shadow, now being defeated, slowly turning back into her ghost's initial appearance, looking down as she mutters, "I just want to be with my senpai…"

Aishi moves close to her, suddenly bowing toward her, "I'm sorry!"

Sorry? Sorry for what?

"I'm sorry for what my mother did. It is awful of her to do such thing to you. I am truly, truly sorry on her behalf."

The ghost simply stares at her, not too long as she finally opens up her mouth, "You… you are not Ryoba…"

She slowly loses her headband and her flames. Her legs reach the ground, and her hair shows her face as she continues, "Mother? You are her daughter?"

Ayano slowly nods.

"I see… How long have I been dead? It feels like yesterday I just died… I…" the ghost seems conflicted, "I should just stop."

She steps close to her, calling out to the girl before her, "You… you may have been Ryoba's daughter, but even that won't stop her from getting what she want. Nothing will stop her. I am the prime example."

The ghost eventually disappears, with Ayano falls onto the floor.

Her black dress returns into her school uniform, and she is now breathing heavily out of exhaustion.

Mona seems to be in shock of what just happened, "Why… why does this feels like we just changed the ghost's heart? Isn't the ghost is just a cognition of the rumor?"

…

…

Owh, shit…

"C-can we…. Can we just… g-get out of here?" Makoto whimpers, "This girl… Aishi-san… s-seems exhausted…"

Akira nods, moving close to her as he offers his hand, "Can you stand?"

The girl simply nods, holding his hand as she stands up straight, moving away from thee slowly with the rest of the team.

All of it has been seen by a different black-haired female, wearing a school uniform-esque clothing of black blazer with red lines and sporting black gloves around her hands.

The girl simply glares at them as they disappear from her sight as she finally speaks up to herself, "Even her? This is getting interesting."

She suddenly pulls up her phone, seeing that her phone seems to have a message given to her an hour ago from a girl named Info-chan.

 _"Watch over her movement for me. Make sure she did not mess up anything."_

She suddenly snickers, "I'm afraid we will have to change our plan. Again, you don't need to know why. This part of the world isn't for the likes of you."

A growl is suddenly heard as her head turns to the side.

A white dog is seen growling at her as she sighs, "These Shadows are starting to get on my nerve."

With her hair suddenly turns on fire, she mutters a simple word, **"Persona."**

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The four are now returned to the real world.

Ayano is silently sitting on one seat, looking toward the desk before her.

Akira, Makoto and Morgana are sitting close to her, but not too close as they are watching her from nearby.

Makoto wonders, "You do not… You are not going to do what I think you are going to do, right?"

Akira mutters, "From what we heard, this Ryoba person, the one that killed the ghost is Ayano's mother. She even warned her about that person. It is only natural that we bring her into my home."

"Will your mom even going to let you do that?"

"I'm sure she's going to be fine," he responds to her question, "You can share the same room with her tonight."

His girlfriend sighs, "That's not what I'm talking about. What if Aishi-san's mother is looking for her?"

"We can deal with that later," Kurusu replies, "Right now, we should let her rest in a safer environment as of this moment."

Sighing once more, Makoto moves close to her as it is her turn to offer her hand, "How about you stay with us for tonight? We can tell you everything about what just happened."

Slowly, Ayano pulls her head up, looking at her smiling at her.

She then turns to look at Akira, who offers the same smile.

Somehow, tears running from her eyes.

She stands up, and instead of grabbing her hand, she grabs her whole body, putting her face onto Makoto's shoulder. The shoulder is now wet with tears.

The girl responsively taps onto her back.

Akira stares at her. His head is filled with wonder; wonder on the meaning of her tears, and why does it look like she has not cried for years.

That is because on that day, Ayano Aishi just learned of sadness.

With that, the Aeon Arcana rises to the third rank.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[1980]

A man in suit, smoking a cigar, is standing outside of the warehouse alongside the girl in ponytail.

He speaks up to her, "You are really cruel, Ryoba-san. You even sold out your sister to us."

"Half-sister," Ryoba responds to him, "Hanako Aishi is simply Aishi by name. That halfling did not come from my mother's love to my father. It is the opposite of that."

The girl suddenly snickers, "It doesn't matter anyway. Anybody who thinks they can get my senpai will never see the light of the day, even if that person comes from the rival Haruka family."

The man keeps on sucking into the cigar before muttering, "I do not care why you even do this to your half-sister. A business is simply a business, and this is a fine business. We will make use of her however we like."

Somewhere at a nearby building, somebody just hid himself near the wall after snapping some photos.

The red-haired man in trench coat breathes heavily, as he goes for another photo.

 **And that is why you guys should stop reading my story before everything started to get confusing.**

 **Wait, what am I talking about?**

 **Sorry for the long delay. Just like what the head note stated, I've been doing a different fanfic called Fate Phantom Night, a crossover between Persona 5 and Fate Stay Night with Akira Kurusu as the MC. I also made a stupid fanfic for the AO3 featuring OCs leading a kingdom in an invasion against other kingdoms based on anime, manga and video games locations. Thus, why this chapter is late.**

 **Sorry for not featuring much of Nemesis. I did not know that I am going to write a full boss fight against the ghost girl. As for how a ghost gets to have a Shadow? Let's… not be too serious there.**

 **Hey, the world of Persona isn't as realistic as it appears to be. It's not… at all…**

 **As you can see, Ayano in this story is not evil at all. Why not? Aren't you bored of reading a story about evil Ayano all the time? Personally if Ayano is evil in this story, then the story is going to be super short since she is just going to appear around the corner and boom, boss fight.**

 **But I'm sure you guys can do evil Ayano for YanSim Persona 5 Xover, right? I'm sure you are.**

 **Next: They now knows of the name, but what about the location and the palace? What about Info-chan and Nemesis?**


	5. The Girl Who Fell in Love

The Girl Who Fell in Love

Seems like tonight his parents won't be around again.

That's actually a good thing for once.

Akira has no idea how to explain why there are two girls sleeping inside his room for now.

Yes, after so many considerations, he decided to lay out a mattress for Makoto to use. Ayano can use his bed for now.

It is kinda sad that his family didn't have an extra room for them to sleep in.

They do, actually, but that room is currently being used as a store room.

There is also another store room in the basement, which doesn't seem to be filled with anything, really. His parents found a habit of just throwing anything into the room on the floor above.

Ayano seems to be crying and depressed throughout her stay in the house. She looks a bit of excited when he first presented that idea to her, but she quickly turns gloomy for the rest of the day.

He has never seen that side of her before.

Well, he wasn't around when she first arrives here…

Hmm…

For some reason, almost all of his Personas, females mostly, are screaming something along the line of, "NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? ARE YOU CRAZY!?" when he asked if Makoto could accompany her for the night.

Wonder why…

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

It is finally morning…

Ayano opens up her eyes, quickly found herself lying inside an unknown bedroom.

Panic isn't in her dictionary, so she isn't doing that. But instead she feels wary of where she is right now.

 _"How about you stay at my home for now? I'm sure you would like to avoid your home for now after what happened."_

OWH!

Her eyes widen. Her head finally registers her location.

She is… she is… she is at her s-s-s-senpai's room…

Ooh, this is a dream come true for her. She should tell Info-chan about thi-

Nah… she doesn't feel like it.

Ayano pulls herself up, pushing away the blanket that covers her body.

She realized that she is still wearing her school outfit.

That is not good. She needs to change after this.

 _"Don't forget your spare clothes, dear. You won't know when you ever need one."_

Of course… there is a set of spares inside her bag.

It seems she made a habit of carrying one to the school. It isn't stuffy as people would think. She didn't normally bring every book to the school after all.

It is one of the instances where her mom speaks to her, and almost all of their interactions feel so weird.

She remembers how most of the time, her mother barely even look at her. The woman she called mother seems to have always find herself spend on impressing her husband.

 _"Ayano, honey, don't you see I'm busy with your dad here? Sorry, but you have to learn how to go to the toilet by yourself from now on."_

To think she is capable of murder…

Ayano crawl herself in a fetal position. She has no idea what to think of anymore.

She used to have no problem thinking of anything. It's just mostly about keeping her face up to the public or thinking about what her senpai is doing.

But now, with everything that happened in her life as of recently, she just found herself overwhelmed with so many thoughts.

The school's ghost is real and she nearly dies because of it.

The school's ghost is her aunt and she died because of her mother.

Now, Ayano learned confusion.

Is there something else hidden here? What is her mother's story throughout all this madness?

"Ah, you've awaken."

Her head turn to the side.

She sees the person calling herself senpai's lover, sitting on the floor next on the bed she is on, smiling at her.

This smile… she has never seen this coming from her mother…

Depression hits her once more, "I- I'm fine…"

"That's good, then. We should go down now. Akira should have been waiting for us by now."

Ayano simply nods, giving off another of her fake smile to her and simply follows her down to the stairs.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Down there, it is appears as if Kurusu has already set up the table.

He comes to notice the girls going down as he greets the two with a smile, "How are you two today?"

"As always," Makoto replies with a smile.

Ayano, on the other hand, nods, not knowing she actually gives off a smile of her own.

It seems his attention shifts specifically toward his girlfriend, "When should we tell her about the Persona?"

Niijima quickly turns toward the youngest one, "Can you go to the school today?"

She nods.

"I'll be in school again today. We can talk about what happened yesterday during recess, okay?"

"Okay."

Akira suddenly wonders something, "Wait, what about your uniform? You're not going to wear the same thing today, right?"

She quickly shakes her head, unzipping her bag, "My mom made me brings spare clothes every day."

"Inside your bag?" Kurusu wonders even more, "Not leaving them in the school building?"

The older female questions him, "You leave your clothes in the school building?"

Akira nods, before realizing why she seems confused, "Akademi has a pool of its own. We also have a swimming club alongside that. The members usually have spare clothes in lockers nearby in case the other one gets wet, but most female students just decided to have their own clothes in there as well."

"I see," the Confidant of the Empress Arcana nods in understanding, "I wouldn't know about that. Shujin doesn't have a pool"

Kurusu turns toward Aishi, "You can leave your used uniform with me. I can take care of that."

"Thanks…"

"What about your home?" Makoto springs more questions, "Will you ever return home today?"

Ayano startles, hearing her words. Her face looks down, unable to think of answers for those.

Akira quickly responds on her behalf, "I'm sure she can come up with answers later. For now we should really get to the school."

"You're right. I'm sorry," Niijima simply nods.

He then turns toward his junior, signaling her of something, "Let's go."

The two walk out of the home, with Makoto is about to follow them.

A ring is suddenly heard as she pulls out her phone.

A message appears received by someone, "It's from sis?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Panther: So, have you two learned anything about the murder?

Queen: Not yet, but I do learn of something interesting about this school's history.

Skull: How does learning about a school's history help catching a murderer?

Joker: A lot, surprisingly.

Queen: We learned that there are quite numbers of missing female students around here back in 1980s. Sis was covering those as part of her assignment on cold cases back when she was a student.

Joker: Unfortunately almost none of the articles can be found here in my school's library. We also don't have a local library of our own. Not sure if we can ask for this place's police station for their permission for their own archive.

Queen: I'm sure sis can ask them for that.

Queen: Anyway, I at least found out that the murder case I told you guys about is from the same year of 1980, and it was the only article around. Instead of telling us the details of the murder, the news is more on how a reporter messed up his job and reported a wrong person as the suspect instead.

Joker: At least the ghost is kind enough to tell us everything.

Noir: Ghost? Is it the one where Mako-chan dismissed it as a rumor?

Fox: You were not joking on interrogating a ghost!?

Queen: We are not, strangely enough.

And so, Akira wasted his English class tapping on the phones, explaining the incident that happened yesterday.

Panther: You stole the ghost's heart!?

Skull: That makes no sense! Are you saying ghost is real?

Queen: Can we please not talk about that now? The lesser we speak about it, the better…

Fox: If what the ghost said is correct, then this Aishi person is responsible for everything. Still, what does this has anything to do with the recent murder case?

Joker: Not sure, but I have a feeling for sure that it is all connected.

Panther: Futaba, you have been silent for a while now. Are you okay?

Oracle: Y-yeah… I… I just try to figure something out. Later.

Joker: I guess we should all get back to our class.

Queen: I'll be at the library if you need me.

"Kurusu! Are you paying any attention to the class right now!?"

Akira's attention is being pulled toward the female teacher before the class, who is now staring straight at him.

"I…"

SWOOSH!

Without any warning, a projectile is thrown straight toward him with speed a normal student couldn't react.

Fortunately the projectile is a chalk, and Akira has mastered the arts of chalk dodging throughout his life as a student of Shujin.

With ease, he simply moves to the left, letting the chalk moves past him and hits the wall instead.

"Look at that!"

"He's like a ninja!"

Kokona whispers toward him, "Kurusu-kun, that's amazing!"

The teacher, who has been silent by his student's inability of getting hit in the fast, quickly coughs out as she speaks up, "Back to the lesson, class."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IC: Where have you been last night? I have been messaging you the whole night.

AA: I was staying at senpai's house.

IC: Ah, quite a development you got there. You did well for an Aishi.

AA: I didn't do anything. He and his friend told me to stay with them there.

IC: That girlfriend of him? Why didn't you kill her when you had the chance?

AA: Senpai will be mad at me…

IC: There is no need for his approval for that. You should only do what is best for him.

AA: I don't want to. Senpai won't like me if I kill her.

IC: You have grown a bit too rebellious, don't you think so?

IC: Should I report this to your mother? That you have been neglecting your duty as a woman of Aishi household.

AA: I…

IC: Listen, just do as what you were told and senpai will definitely fall for you. Just like how you father fell for your mother.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It is now the recess.

Akira is now sitting inside the library with Makoto, as they seem to be waiting for somebody.

As they are waiting, Akira wonders of something, "Did you find anything?"

She shakes her head, "I find out that the name Ryoba Aishi do appears in the school record in 1980. There's also another Aishi named Hanako Aishi. She looks exactly like the ghost girl."

"Ryoba Aishi? I've heard of that name before. Quite popular not too long ago."

The school council president, Megami Saikou, appears into their meeting, with the two look at her, startled by her interruption.

It seems she is not the person they are waiting for.

Still, Makoto seems interested enough to hear more from her, "How popular is she?"

"Popular enough to stir some chaos. I've heard that she was a suspect or a murder that happens back when my father is a student here. Her sister was found lying inside the toilet, dead."

Niijima seems to have something to ask about that, "The article you gave me is only about the reporter making a mistake in pointing out the suspect. I've tried to find out more about the case for that but I couldn't find any other news in the school archive."

"That is a given. The principal of this school seems to be hiding of something. He refused to tell me about this article and quickly dismiss me off. I can tell that he is hiding something suspicious regarding this."

Akira wonders, "It sounds like he is obligated to tell you everything he knows."

His girlfriend joins him, "We had a principal back in Shujin, who told me to investigate the Phantom Thieves incident and refuse to tell of his reason for pursuing people who discovered an abusive teacher. I hate him for his dishonesty, but I do believe he has no choice but to do so."

Megami snickers, "A principal should, by any means necessary, making sure the school did not has anything that disturb the order of the school, be it a power-abuse teacher or an unsolved murder case. It is the only way to uphold justice in this place. This is what Saikou Conglomerate has in mind when funding this school."

Akira seems shock, "Your family is a conglomerate?"

"Yes. Have you not heard of us?"

He shakes his head.

Makoto quickly speaks up, "I've heard of the conglomerate before. Isn't it a company rumored to have a relation with a yakuza?"

Saikou scoffs, "A rumor is a rumor. Never believe in a baseless rumor."

"You do have a point there."

With the short-haired female ends her words there, Ayano enters the meeting, bowing at them, "Senpai, Niijima-san, sorry that I am late."

The blue-haired girl walks away, "It seems I have been interrupting with something. Excuse me."

Akira mutters, looking at her, "Makoto, I am glad you doubted your sister's label of us being a bunch of criminals."

"Why are you suddenly talking about that?"

That question is left unanswered.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As usual, Morgana makes his life choice of walking around the school during recess hour.

With so many students around, he knows there will be one of their usual chatters that will bring some clues to their current investigation.

Maybe he should try the principal's office again? The guy seems to be scared of something the last time he sneaked in there.

Morgana moves through the corridor, suddenly finding himself stopping inside one of the buildings.

Looking at the labels above the doors around here, he has found himself at the club floors.

It is still wonders to him to see so many clubs. Schools are indeed one of the more interesting buildings human could ever have.

Maybe if he does get to become a human one day, he would like to start as a student.

Hmm?

The cat is now staring at one club that seems to have its windows being closed with curtains. There aren't even lights from underneath the door, only some that doesn't seem to be coming from the room itself.

He looks around, and noticing a camera on the ceiling, and the camera seems to be directed toward the front of the door.

The cat quickly looks around, seeing cameras nearby that are located to be looking at the corridors.

Strange, this camera is specifically for this door. Why is that?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In this school, there is this one special room that seems to have only one female student in there.

The room in question is the Info Club itself, and it is famous for being the only club with no record whatsoever of its activity.

As of now, the inhabitant of this illusive club, the red-haired girl with glasses is currently viewing through her computer of six monitors before her.

One of them shows three people that pique her interest, seemingly conversing toward each other in the library.

One of them shows a recording inside a classroom, whereas two of the three people and a cat from the other monitor disappear into thin air. The recording later shows a recording from a different angle, viewing of the three reappear later alongside a female student with them.

The girl mumbles as she keeps on watching the monitors, "Akira Kurusu… what are you, really?"

Her eyes then turn toward the other monitor, seeing files of some sort, detailing information regarding Akira and Makoto.

She then turns toward a different monitor, now grumbling as she sees words and letters on that particular monitor, "Fail again? That phone of yours is really troubling me. Are you really befriending Medjed? You are making me wasting my day."

The girl then notices the other monitor, "A cat?"

The monitor shows Morgana looking directly at the camera outside, as the girl notices of something strange.

"That's Kurusu's cat, is it not? Somehow it looks… smart… Almost like a human…"

She sees the cat looking at other places and the camera back and forth, noting how normal cats usually looking at one direction only when focusing.

This cat is different. This cat keeps on looking around, as if it knows what a camera is.

This cat is interesting.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

IC: Nemesis, I need your help again.

N: Owh? The great Info-chan is looking for my help again? Am I really that useful to you?

IC: Until you expose your disappearing act trick to me, you will find my number almost constantly.

N: Do not forget who is blackmailing who here.

IC: I know your real name.

N: And I know how to get into your room unnoticed.

IC: Touché.

N: Just tell me your purpose of calling me. Is that girl messing up again?

IC: No, I am simply wish for you to bring me something.

N: And that is…

IC: A cat.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Aishi clan?" Makoto questions the girl beside her, "Is your family from a long line of lineage or something close?"

The two decided to tell his junior about their work as PhantomThieves, Persona and nothing else. It appears Ayano shows not much of interest on any of the stories related to their targets so they did not say anything about that.

The girl then decides to open up everything she can about her mother; being involved with the ghost, yakuza, her father's abduction and their forced marriage, and even her claim of what the name Aishi is.

Ayano shakes her head quickly, "I- I don't think so. I have never heard of such thing before."

Akira leans onto his chair, "Still, going so far as making your dad adopting her name instead…"

The girl with ponytail mutters, "My mother has been telling me so many times; an Aishi woman can only find happiness from the first person she fell for and if she failed to be with him, death is the only way to live for her."

"That is… horrifying…" Niijima seems really disturbed by her words, "A mother telling her own daughter that…"

Aishi suddenly sighs silently, but the two notice of her action.

They chose not to say anything about that, only looking at each other when she seems to be looking away.

Nodding at each other, they decide to not approach her about that issue until there is a right time for that.

Akira takes a deep breath before sighing out loud, "Should we check your mother's Palace, then?"

"Palace?" his junior pulls her head toward them, "You mean, that world of desires? My mother has one?"

Makoto hesitates in nodding, "She could have one. With everything she did before, it is quite easy to believe that she has one."

Akira mutters, "All we need are her name, the location of the Palace and what the Palace looks like. The location could be anywhere where she feels at home the most. Maybe a place where she can influence everything."

Niijima continues, "The Palace will appear based on how she sees herself and that place as. If she sees herself as a queen, she will have a castle as her Palace."

Ayano seems to be listening quite intently, "If she steal her heart, then she can change into a better person?"

Her senior suddenly moves close to her, "Ayano, if we steal her Treasure, there will be a chance that she finally becomes a good mother. But, there is also a chance where she will tell everyone the truth and confess her crimes to the public. If that happen, your life won't be the same again."

Makoto grabs her hand, startling her, "Listen. People will call you names, hurt you for what your mother did. My sister is a lawyer. She has seen this case so many times before. Not only that, but your father will receive the same treatment, or maybe even worse. He did marry a murderer after all."

Kurusu grabs her other hand, "We won't do that if you couldn't handle the outcome. We're here only to find out who killed Osana Najimi after all. Your mother's case may have been an unrelated case that the real authority should have handle properly. This is your choice, Ayano."

Somehow, this situation is really startling her.

Ayano keeps on looking at them both, and looking at how her hands are being held by these two people beside her.

She… she has no idea how to react to this situation.

She… she likes it… for some reason…

The question… she has no answer to that. This skin contact she has right now is clouding her thinking…

The girl suddenly noting the name 'Osana Najimi'.

"Senpai, Niijima-san… about Najimi…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The three suddenly stand up, seeing the wall of the library has turned blood red. Their clothing has turn into the Phantom Thieves' outfits.

"Mementos?" Queen is baffled by this development, "What is going on here? Why are we here?"

"Meow…"

The three quickly turn their heads toward where the voice comes from.

At the door into the room, Morgana, in his cartoony appearance, slowly moving toward them, limping as he seems tired, "Everyone… help…"

"Mona!" Joker runs close toward him, 'What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Sorry, Phantom Thieves. I did that."

Before them, a black-haired female covers one of her eyes, appears before them all, playing with what seems to be a throwing knife, "My partner-in-crime told me to get that cat to her. It benefits me, so I did it."

"Wha-" Makoto, once again, expressing her shock, "A student in Mementos?"

"I am not just any student," the girl looks pissed, "I am the illusive killer, Nemesis."

She then grabs onto her hair, muttering, "Be nice and give me that cat."

With a snap, Nemesis pulls off her hair, and with that her hair turns into burning blue flame, which baffles the two Phantom Thieves even more.

Joker mutters, "Wait, that flame…"

The girl before him grins, " **Persona."**

Behind her, a strange figure of black eyes and wide, holey mouth, having neck protruding forward and no arms, appear as she seems ready to strike, holding her knife tightly.

A fight is about to begin.

 **Help me.**

 **No, seriously.**

 **As you can see, Pain Demon from Yandere Sim is Nemesis's Persona. Unfortunately, I can't think of any name for this guy.**

 **This guy seems to be all about revenge, which I was going to named him Edmond Dantes at first (you know, Count of Monte Cristo?) but then there is the fact that Pain Demon has no hands.**

 **Any suggestion for the name? Maybe anyone with tendency to cut people? Should I go with Edmond Dantes?**

 **Next: Nemesis fights them. Ryoba finally appears before the team. Stuff happen.**


End file.
